John Walter Baumgartner (May 17, 1890 – November 9, 1973)[1] was an American civil engineer who was a member of the Los Angeles, California, City Council from 1933 to 1945.

Baumgartner was born on May 17, 1890, on a ranch in Los Angeles located at what later became the intersection of Beverly and Rampart boulevards.

He was educated in Los Angeles public schools and graduated from St. Vincent's College, now Loyola University.

[4] He and Councilman Byron B. Brainard obtained the original allocation of $175,000 from the state in the 1930s to begin the project that opened 10th Street and turned it into Olympic Boulevard without having to assess local property owners for the improvements.

[6] In summer 1940 he began a campaign against pinball and other recreational machines, and in October of that year submitted a motion to "prohibit possession, operation or playing of so-called marble games known as bali ball and miniature bowling."