Byron W. Bender (August 14, 1929 – January 4, 2020) was a professor of linguistics at the University of Hawaiʻi specializing in Micronesian languages, primarily Marshallese, and Oceanic languages more generally. He joined the Department of Linguistics in 1965, serving as its chair (1969–1995) and as editor of its journal Oceanic Linguistics (1991–2007). He also served the University as president of its faculty union (1983–1988) and as a member of the Board of Regents (2003–2020). Bender died on January 4, 2020, at the age of 90.