Joseph Algernon Pearce (February 7, 1893 – September 8, 1988) was a Canadian astrophysicist, who was notable for studies on the structure of Milky Way and O-type stars. Born in Brantford, Ontario, Pearce enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1915 and served with the rank of Major in France until his was injured and returned to Canada as a training officer. He received a bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Toronto. He then studied at the Lick Observatory in California and received a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley in 1930. He joined the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Saanich, British Columbia and was appointed Assistant Director in 1935. From 1940 to 1951, he was Director.