Michael Thornton Burns, born December 30, 1947, is an American professor emeritus of history at Mount Holyoke College. Before his academic career, Burns was a child and teen actor, appearing in numerous television shows and films, most notably the series Wagon Train.

Burns pursued higher education later in life, earning a BA in history from UCLA, followed by an MA in European history from the same institution. He completed his academic journey with a PhD in modern European history from Yale University in 1977. His academic career began at Mount Holyoke College in 1980, where he taught history until his retirement in 2002. He is married to Elizabeth Topham Kennan, the former president of Mount Holyoke College, and they reside in Kentucky, where they manage a historic estate.

Born in Mineola, New York, Michael Thornton Burns moved with his family to California in the mid-1950s. He attended Beverly Hills High School and later pursued higher education at the College of William and Mary and UCLA, balancing his studies with an acting career. Burns began his acting career in the late 1950s, appearing in shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. He gained significant recognition for his role as Barnaby West in the popular television series Wagon Train, where he transitioned from guest appearances to a regular character. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Burns appeared in various films and guest-starred in over 35 television series, often in Westerns.

After his acting career, Burns dedicated himself to academia, earning a PhD in modern European history from Yale University. He joined the faculty at Mount Holyoke College in 1980, where he became a respected professor of history. His scholarly work primarily focused on French history, particularly the Dreyfus Affair. He authored "Dreyfus: A Family Affair, 1789–1945," a book that examined the historical event and its familial context, receiving positive reviews for its thoroughness and humanistic approach. Burns also contributed to documentary history with "France and the Dreyfus Affair: A Documentary History" and explored related themes in "Rural Society and French Politics: Boulangism and the Dreyfus Affair, 1886–1900." He was granted the title professor emeritus upon his retirement in 2002.