Charles Fraser MacLean (November 21, 1841 – March 20, 1924) was an American jurist. Born in New Hartford, New York, he began attending Yale University as a junior in 1862. He graduated in 1864 and was a member of Skull and Bones. In 1866, he was the first person to be awarded a PhD in philosophy from an American institution. His dissertation was A Critique of John Stuart Mill's Examination of Hamilton's Philosophy. In 1869 he earned his JUD at the University of Berlin. His dissertation was De Jure Emigrandi. In 1887, he married Marie Mott (1854?-1946), daughter of industrialist Jordan L. Mott.