David Montgomery (1927–2011) was a Farnam Professor of History Emeritus at Yale University. He was an active member of the IAM, the UE and the Teamsters during the 10 years he worked as a machinist in New York and the Twin Cities. In 1962, he earned a PhD in History at the University of Minnesota, spent 14 years teaching at the University of Pittsburgh and two years in England helping British social historian, E.P Thompson, establish the Centre for the Study of Social History at the University of Warwick. He authored many articles and books about the history and prospects of working people in the United States. He was President of the Organization of American Historians from 1999 to 2000.