John Rutledge (September 17, 1739–July 23, 1800) was an American statesman and judge. He was the first governor of South Carolina following the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the 31st overall. For a time, he held dictatorial powers in the state. He was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, and he signed the U.S. Constitution. He served as an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court and was the second Chief Justice of the Court from July 1795 to December 1795.