Barbara von Wittich was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1913. Her family lived in Berlin, Warsaw, and Munich until 1951, when Barbara and her mother came to Ames as refugees. Although she had studied at the College of Commerce in Warsaw, Barbara now began a completely new course of study and a new career.
In 1958 she received the B.S. degree from Iowa State University and was selected for membership in Phi Beta Kappa. From 1958 to 1967 she taught French and German at Ames High School, where she was rated by Principal Herbert Adams as a "Master Teacher." In 1961 she received the M.S. degree from Iowa State.
In 1967 she came to Iowa State University as an instructor in German. She earned a Master's degree from Middlebury College in Vermont in 1970 and a Ph.D. from Iowa State in 1971. By 1981 she had advanced to the rank of Professor and had achieved full membership in the Graduate Faculty.
Enthusiasm, thoroughness, effectiveness, and, above all, high standards, distinguished Professor von Wittich in all areas of endeavor at Iowa State University. In 1972 she received the "Service Award in Recognition of Outstanding and Meritorious Service to the People of Iowa in the Field of Adult Education."
In teaching, Professor von Wittich not only lectured well but also showed persistence, firmness, and kindness in working with all students until they mastered the subject. She always achieved excellent results and was recognized by colleagues and students alike as a superb teacher.
Her excellent professional publications in foreign language teaching methodology and linguistics have been cited by scholars in scientific journals throughout the U.S. and abroad. She continued to work, to learn, and to impart knowledge even after she retired from active teaching at the university.
As a colleague, Professor von Wittich was kind, soft-spoken, and always helpful. She had a gentle, penetrating sense of humor, and she was a generous, loyal colleague. It was a pleasure to be with her. 7/1/96 |
