John Russell Young Blakely (July 17, 1872 – March 28, 1942) was a rear admiral of the United States Navy.

After serving in various Navy ships and at many shore stations, he took his first command, the protected cruiser USS Des Moines (C-15), in 1914.

As captain of this ship, and later the armored cruiser USS Seattle (ACR-11), Blakely rendered important service in transporting and escorting troops and supplies to Europe during the First World War.

After a tour as Assistant to the Chief of the Bureau of Navigation in 1925, he was promoted to rear admiral on 4 June 1926 and given command of a cruiser division temporarily assigned to the Asiatic Fleet after the 1927 unrest in Nanjing, China.

[4] He also commanded the 15th Naval District[5] and served on the important General Board before poor health forced him to retire 1 June 1932.