John Henry Boalt

John Henry Boalt (March 29, 1837 in Norwalk, Ohio – May 9, 1901 in Cloverdale, California) was an attorney who resided in Oakland, California in the late 19th century. After graduating from Amherst College in 1857, Boalt attended the University of Heidelberg School of Mining and was a member of the Signal Corps in the American Civil War. Boalt was also a judge and president of the local Bar association.

Boalt is known for his racist doctrine against Chinese people. He was influential in his support of the Chinese Exclusion Act, writing that "Chinese were unassimilable liars, murderers and misogynists who provoked 'unconquerable repulsion'".

After Boalt's death in 1901, his widow, Elizabeth Josselyn Boalt, created a trust allocating two parcels of land in San Francisco valued at $100,000 to be sold for the benefit of the University of California to construct a building to house its new School of Jurisprudence on the Berkeley campus. Six weeks later, the 1906 earthquake destroyed the properties. The trustees were able to sell only one parcel, for far less than the original value. In recognition of the gift, the new building was named Boalt Memorial Hall of Law.

Because of Boalt's racist legacy, Berkeley law lecturer Charles P. Reichmann proposed in 2018 that the building be renamed. The school is expected to announce a decision in late 2018.