John William Carlin (born August 3, 1940)[1] is an American educator and politician who served as the 40th governor of Kansas from 1979 to 1987, and the archivist of the United States from May 30, 1995, to February 15, 2005.

Carlin teaches at Kansas State University as a visiting professor and previously operated a website to advance civic engagement.

He also ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, when he was defeated by Sam Brownback, whom Carlin had appointed Secretary of Agriculture of Kansas in 1986.

[12] In January 2015, Carlin launched a website to explore ideas, stimulate creative thinking, and advance civic engagement.

Along with an active social media presence, the site shares his experience and perspective through a blog on current issues, compelling photo and biographical content, and a series of short video clips that can be used as a resource in classrooms, organizations, and for personal learning on the topic of leadership.