Patrice Louis René Higonnet (born 3 February 1938) is a French author, historian, and retired professor who currently serves as a Robert Walton Goelet Research Professor of French History at Harvard University. He previously taught European history. Early life Higonnet was born in Saint Cloud, France. Higonnet parents were René Alphonse Higonnet and Thérèse Higonnet née David. Personal life Higonnet's second wife, Ethel Higonnet, was raped and murdered in Longfellow Park in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1973. Higonnet subsequently married University of Connecticut professor Margaret Higonnet (née Cardwell) in 1976. He has three children. References External links Harvard University faculty 1938 births Living people 20th-century French historians Harvard University alumni 20th-century French essayists 21st-century French essayists 20th-century French male writers 21st-century French male writers 21st-century French historians