John Adair was an American pioneer, soldier and statesman. He was the seventh governor of Kentucky and represented the state in both the U.S. House and Senate.

Born in South Carolina, Adair enlisted in the state militia and served in the Revolutionary War, where he was held captive by the British for a period of time. Following the war, he was elected as a delegate to South Carolina's convention to ratify the United States Constitution. He then moved to Kentucky, where he acquired a large farm, and participated in frontier wars against the Miami Indians.