Preston Barba

Preston Albert Barba (April 7, 1883 – April 11, 1971) was a major figure in twentieth-century Pennsylvania German linguistics, folklore studies, and social history. He was born in Hellertown, Pennsylvania, and received degrees at Muhlenberg College (B.A. 1906), Yale University (M.A. 1907), and the University of Pennsylvania (Ph.D. 1911). Barba taught at the University of Pennsylvania, Indiana University, and, from 1921 to 1951 as professor and head of the Department of German Language and Literature at Muhlenberg.

Barba married Eleanor Martin (March 29, 1893 – July 14, 1966), a professional artist who collaborated with him on many projects and publications.

Barba wrote a popular section of The Morning Call newspaper ('S Pennsylvaanisch Deitsch Eck) in the Pennsylvania German dialect from 1935 to 1969, and developed with Albert F. Buffington a standardized German-based orthography known as Buffington-Barba or Buffington-Barba-Beam in a later version. Its first major codification was in Buffington and Barba's 1954 A Pennsylvania German Grammar (rev. ed. 1965).

A member of the United Church of Christ, Barba also belonged to the Modern Language Association, the National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, and the Goethe Society of America. He was a board member of the Pennsylvania German Society and the Pennsylvania Folklore Society.