David H. Pinkney (1914–1993) was a renowned scholar of French history, author, and emeritus professor of history at the University of Washington, from 1967 until his retirement in 1984. Pinkney, born in Elyria, Ohio, attended Oberlin College and received his doctorate in history from Harvard University in 1941. During World War II, he served in the Office of Strategic Services and the U.S. Navy. After military service, Pinkney began his long teaching career at the University of Missouri. In 1966 he moved to the University of Washington where he taught until his retirement in 1984.