David L. Lightner was born on May 13th, 1942 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Pennsylvania State University in 1963 and his A.M. in 1964 from the University of Pennsylvania. In 1969 Lightner completed his PhD. at Cornell University.
Lighner worked at various institutions as an assistant professor before coming to the University of Alberta (U of A) including the University of Illinois, St. Olaf College, University of New York, and University of Connecticut. He took a position as an Assistant Professor at U of A in 1977, became an Associate Professor in 1982 and a Professor of History in 2006. Lighner is currently professor emeritus of history at the U of A.
Lightner was a member of various organisations including Organization of American Historians, Economic History Association, Canadian Association of University Teachers, and American Historical Association.
He also published papers and research articles. Lightner's first book was titled Labor on the Illinois Central Railroad, 1852-1900: The Evolution of an Industrial Environment.