John Augustus "Josh" Hartwell (September 27, 1869 – November 30, 1940) was an American college football player and coach, military officer, and physician.

In 1891, Hartwell was named an All-American for a season in which Yale was unbeaten, untied, unscored against, and later recognized as a national champion by a number of selectors.

Hartwell graduated from Yale in 1892, holding both PhD and MD degrees, and began a career as a surgeon in New York City.

In order to cover the cost of schooling, Hartwell took up a number of jobs; among them were participating in athletic tests and coaching sports teams during his vacation periods.

[1][4] Immediately afterwards he joined the university's staff and became the assistant for Professor Russell Henry Chittenden, helping to teach physiological chemistry.

[1][2] During that time, he was a graduate student at the Sheffield Scientific School and continued participating on the crew and football teams while teaching.

[16] After leaving Lehigh, Hartwell took up a job as the coach of the New York Athletic Club's crew team, holding the position for the season.

Hartwell began as a one-week replacement for then-coaches Alfred Cowles, Jr. and Fred Stephenson,[20] and was hired as an assistant coach along with John Rogers, holding the position for over two months.

[A 1][22] Later that year, Hartwell was hired as head coach for the United States Naval Academy's football team.

He replaced fellow Yale football player and 1892 alumni Ben Crosby, who had died late the previous year from typhoid fever he contracted while coaching the Navy team.

Although The Sun stated that Hartwell "made monkeys of the Yale players" and recorded several tackles, his team was blown out.

[26] Returning to his job Hartwell's team won in a blowout victory over the Franklin & Marshall Diplomats, followed by a 12–0 shutout loss to Virginia.

The contest was described as "so bloody" due to multiple large fistfights breaking out between fans in the stands that the game was banned by president Grover Cleveland, and did not return until 1899 at the insisting of Theodore Roosevelt.