Jean Stuart, born Margaret Elizabeth Leisenring on July 13, 1906, in Placerville, California, was an American actress who had a brief but promising career in silent films. Her father, Dr. Luther Leisenring, was a prominent surgeon, and she grew up in a well-to-do family.

Jean Stuart attended the University of California at Berkeley, where she became a popular student and a member of the French club and the Little Theater company.

During her senior year, she was chosen as the winner of a college girl contest and was selected to play a role in the film "The Campus Flirt," which co-starred Bebe Daniels.

Her beauty and charm caught the attention of Universal Pictures, and she was offered a contract, leading her to drop out of college to pursue her acting career. She starred in several silent films, including "The Scarlet Runner" (1916), "The Libertine" (1916), "Strife" (1917), "The Rainbow" (1917), "The Accomplice" (1917), "God's Man" (1917), and "Madame Sherry" (1917).

Her roles often cast her as the perfect college student type, and she quickly became a favorite among producers and audiences alike.

Tragically, her promising career was cut short when she died on November 23, 1926, at the age of 20. She was riding horseback with friends when her horse slipped on wet pavement, causing her to fall and suffer a cerebral hemorrhage.