Vincent P. Barabba, 1990 president of the American Statistical Association, died September 21, 2026. An ASA Fellow and longtime leader in government, business, and market research, he brought a broad perspective to using statistics in the private and public sectors.
Barabba began his career in political campaign survey research in 1964 before moving into business market research. He later served as manager of market research for Xerox and director of market intelligence for Eastman Kodak. He also co-founded Decision Making Information and Market Insight Corporation.
His career included two terms as director of the US Census Bureau, making him the only person appointed to that position by presidents of different political parties. In all, five presidents appointed him to government positions: Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter to be US Census Bureau director and Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush to be the US representative to the Population Commission of the United Nations. Later, he served as general manager of corporate strategy and knowledge development at General Motors, where he played a role in the development of OnStar.
Barabba was deeply involved in the ASA. While at the Census Bureau, he worked to make census information more accessible and helped promote the use of graphics to communicate statistics to broader audiences. In 1985, he worked with other ASA members to encourage the establishment of the ASA Statistical Graphics Section, which he later described as one of his most meaningful contributions.
In a 2015 interview with Amstat News, Barabba recalled an early lesson from his work in political survey research: “The value of information is in its use … not its collection!” He emphasized the importance of understanding the context surrounding a problem and being willing to consider information that challenges one’s perceptions.
Barabba received numerous honors during his career, including an honorary Doctor of Laws degree and the Distinguished Alumni Award from California State University, Northridge; the Parlin Award from the American Marketing Association; and the Certificate of Distinguished Service for Contribution to the Federal Statistical System from the Office of Management and Budget. He was also the author or co-author of several books on decision-making, marketing, and government statistics.
Barabba earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from California State University, Northridge, in 1962 and an MBA in marketing from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1964. He served in the US Air Force from 1954–1958.
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