John Earl Jacobs (November 29, 1903 – May 24, 1971) was an American educator most notably for serving as an administrator at what is now known as Emporia State University.

[1] Before serving as the Kansas State Teachers College (KSTC) interim president of, Jacobs was the Supervisor of Secondary Education at KSTC and served as principal of a couple of high schools before coming to Emporia.

After graduating high school, Jacobs attended KSTC in Pittsburg, now known as Pittsburg State University, Jacobs completed his bachelor of science in 1925, and both his master's and doctorate from the University of Kansas (KU).

After graduating with his master's degree, Jacobs was a guest lecturer at the KU, and was later the principal of the university's high school.

After serving as the interim president of KSTC, Jacobs served as the Director of Special Education, a newly created division at the time, for the Kansas Department of Public Instruction for four years before moving to California.