Philip H. Melanson (1944 - September 18, 2006) was a Chancellor Professor of Policy Studies at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

He served as coordinator of the Robert F. Kennedy Assassination Archive, which is the world's largest collection on the subject, and also served as chair of the Political Science Department for 12 years.

An internationally recognized expert on political violence and governmental secrecy, Melanson wrote numerous books and articles related to these subjects. He appeared on NPR, BBC, CBS, and CNN news programs.

He made 95 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests which resulted in the release of over 200,000 pages of federal government documents on topics relevant to his research.