Arnold R. Highfield, (born March 10, 1940) is a professor, historian, writer, and poet, best known for his historical works on the Danish West Indies and the United States Virgin Islands. The eldest of two children, he was born in New Boston, Ohio. He received his BA and MA degrees from The Ohio State University after which he studied French at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, and Spanish at the University of Madrid in Spain. He returned to Ohio State University where he received his doctorate in Romance Linguistics. He taught at the University of the Virgin Islands in St. Croix from 1968 until his retirement in 2007. The student body chose him to receive the Faculty of the Year Award for the academic years 1975–76, 1976–77, and 1977–78. He served as Scholar-in-Residence from 1995–2007, received the Governor's Virgin Islands Medal for Excellence in Literature in August 1997, and also the University of the Virgin Islands Faculty Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarship in May of 1998. He and his wife Shirley continue to divide their time between St. Croix and Middlebury, VT.
