Colonel Alvin Barton Barber (May 19, 1883 – September 16, 1961) headed the

American Relief Administration American Relief Administration (ARA) was an American relief mission to Europe and later post-revolutionary Russia after World War I. Herbert Hoover, future president of the United States, was the program director. The ARA's immediate predeces ...

in Poland from 1919 to 1922. He then worked for the United States Chamber of Commerce from 1923 to 1948.

History

Alvin Barton Barber was born May 19, 1883, in Portland, Oregon, the son of Sumner Joseph and Ellen (née Barton) Barber. He attended the United States Military Academy from June 11, 1901, to June 13, 1905, graduating 5th in his class. After graduation, he was commissioned a

Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

and assigned to the United States Army Corps of Engineers. He was responsible for duties relating to military and public works in the United States and Philippines. In 1906 he assisted in the relief efforts after an earthquake in San Francisco. During World War I, from May to June 1917, he served with the Railway Commission in England and France. He served in various Headquarters and field units until January 31, 1919. From February through August 4, 1919, he was in Paris with the American Relief Administration, in charge of transportation and distribution, under the direction of Herbert Hoover. From August 1919 to 1922, he was appointed chief of the European Technical Advisers Mission to Poland, and served as technical adviser to the Polish Minister of Railways in

Warsaw, Poland Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-cen ...

. It was during this period, on January 26, 1920, that he resigned from the Army. His work during and after World War I brought him citations from the American Expeditionary Forces General Headquarters and decorations from the French, Finnish, and Polish governments. Barber established a reputation as a transportation expert during his service in France and Poland, leading to his selection as manager of the Transportation and Communication Department of the United States Chamber of Commerce in 1923. He served in this position until retiring in 1948, he became a staff director on the

National Security Resources Board The National Security Resources Board was a United States government agency created by the National Security Act of 1947 whose purpose was to advise the President, in times of war, on how to mobilize natural resources, manpower, and the scientific e ...

and then a transportation consultant for the Office of Defense Mobilization until retiring in 1957. Barber died on September 16, 1961, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.Burial Detail: Barber, Alvin B
– ANC Explorer

Family

Barber married Lucy Clementine Lombardi on August 20, 1908, a marriage that lasted 53 years. They had three sons and a daughter who reached adult years. One of his sons, Cesar Lombardi Barber, married Elizabeth Duncan Putnam, the daughter of

George R. Putnam George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...

, Commissioner of Lighthouses.

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barber, A. B. United States Army colonels People of the American Relief Administration 1883 births 1961 deaths United States Military Academy alumni American expatriates in Poland