John Stuart Ballard (September 30, 1922 – April 21, 2012) was an American politician known for serving as the mayor of Akron, Ohio, for 13 years from 1966 until 1979.

Ballard was a member of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity at the University of Akron.

[3] During World War II, he served as an infantry lieutenant in General Patton's army.

He also worked as a special agent with the FBI and practiced law in Akron.

[4] As mayor of Akron, Ballard faced great challenges with the city losing 14 percent of its population in the 1970s along with race riots, labor strikes, and Vietnam War tension.