John Neilson (March 11, 1745 – March 3, 1833) commanded the New Jersey militia in the northern part of the state during the American Revolution, served in the New Jersey legislature during and after the Revolution, and was one of the earliest trustees of Rutgers University. He is also notable for one of the earliest public readings of the Declaration of Independence, which was recently immortalized in a statue located at Monument Square Park in New Brunswick.