John Sinclair Leary (August 17, 1845 – December 9, 1904) was an American lawyer, politician, federal official, and law school dean.

Matthew's father was an Irishman named Jeremiah Leary who married Sally Revels who was mixed Croatan Indian and black.

[5] John's brother, Matthew Leary, Jr. went into politics as well and became a federal government clerk in Washington, DC[6] and died On January 26, 1892.

[1] In 1868, Leary was elected to the North Carolina General Assembly of 1868-1869 House of Representatives from Cumberland County.

[1] in 1873 in a class with Joseph E. Lee, Jacksonville, Florida's first black lawyer; Henry Wagner, US Consul at Lyons, France; Durham W. Stevens, who was a diplomat and was assassinated while working for Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and William E. Matthews, J. H. Smith, and John A.

Leary later helped establish the law school at Shaw University and served as its dean[10] starting in March 1890.

[11] He was followed as dean by Edward A. Johnson, who was Shaw's first graduate[12] and later the first African-American member of the New York State Assembly.

[1] May 1, 1881, he was appointed United States deputy collector for the fourth district of North Carolina, Internal Revenue Department, holding the position for four years until the start of Grover Cleveland's presidential administration.

He was a member of the Odd Fellowsand an honorary commissioner from North Carolina to the 1884 World's Fair in New Orleans.

[16] In 1896 he was key in supporting Daniel Russell's successful run for Governor of North Carolina and desired the position of assistant U.S. district-attorney as a reward.