Donald E. Walker (1921-2011) was a professor of sociology, university administrator, and Acting President of San Diego State University in 1971-1972. Walker was born July 13, 1921 in Springfield, Missouri. He studied religion and theology at the University of Southern California where he took his bachelors and masters degrees in 1943 and 1947 respectively. He received a doctorate degree in sociology from Stanford University in 1954. Before entering university administration, Walker was a Methodist minister at churches in Los Angeles and Encinitas.

Walker came to San Diego State College in 1949 as instructor of sociology before entering administration as associate dean of students and counseling and later dean of counseling and testing. Walker first left San Diego State for a string of positions including dean of students at San Fernando Valley State College (1958-1960), president of Idaho State College (1960-1964), dean of students at Sonoma State College (1964-1966), and chancellor of student affairs at University of California, Irvine (1966-1968).

Walker returned to San Diego State as vice president of academic affairs and served as acting president after the departure of President Malcolm A. Love. Walker's brief tenure as acting president saw a turbulent time in the university's history, marked by destructive student protests and controversy surrounding the actions of economics professor Peter Bohmer in agitating against the war and organizing campus disruptions.

Walker again left the San Diego State for a position as president of Southeastern Massachusetts University (now the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth) from 1972 to 1983 and finally as Chancellor of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District, from which he retired in 1992.