John Breckenridge Ellis (February 11, 1870 – April 2, 1956) was a prolific American novelist and educator whose life and legacy are deeply tied to Clinton County, Missouri. Born near Hannibal, Missouri, he moved to Plattsburg in 1880 when his father purchased Plattsburg College, and the local elementary school still bears his name.

Despite early physical challenges—including spinal meningitis in infancy that left him unable to walk—Ellis became a remarkably productive writer. He authored more than 25 books, primarily historical romances, along with numerous serialized works published in national magazines. His novel Fran became a national bestseller and was adapted into the 1919 film The Love Hunger.

Ellis also played a major role in Missouri’s literary community, helping organize the Missouri Writers’ Guild and serving as its president for five terms. He spent his later years in Oklahoma but was laid to rest in Greenlawn Cemetery in Plattsburg, returning home in the end to the community that shaped him.