John Lewis Bates (September 18, 1859–June 8, 1946) was born in Massachusetts.
He was a Republican, and was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1894 to 1899; from 1897 to 1899 he was Speaker of the House. From 1900 to 1903 he was Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts.
In 1902, Bates was elected Governor, holding office from 1903 to 1905. Bates then retired to his private law practice in Boston. From 1917 to 1919 Bates was a delegate to the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention.
Bates was a member of the American Bar Association, the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and Beta Theta Pi.