John Elie Mathews (July 19, 1892 – April 29, 1955) was an American lawyer, legislator, and judge.

[1] Mathews began his legal career in Georgia in 1913 before moving to Jacksonville, Florida and opening a practice in 1916.

In 1945, he was a part of the movement to re-apportion the legislature to reflect the growing population in the state's cities.

Mathews led an unsuccessful campaign to exclude blacks from the Democratic primary election in 1947.

[5] Mathews was chosen as his replacement by political ally Governor Fuller Warren, and he joined the Court on October 23, 1951.