James Rudolph Cheatham (June 18, 1924 – January 12, 2007) was an American jazz trombonist and teacher who played with Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, and Ornette Coleman.
In 1978, Cheatham was invited to lead the jazz program at University of California, San Diego. In 1979 he began to direct the school's African American and jazz performance programs. He retired in 2005.