The Honorable Alexander Barbieri, a 1925 graduate of Cheltenham High School, served on the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the early 1970s.

According to local historian Chuck Langerman, Barbieri grew up during the Depression in a family of nine children headed by Italian immigrant parents. He went on to attend the University of Pennsylvania, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 1929 and earning a law degree from Penn in 1932, during which time he also served as an editor of the law review.

Barbieri initially worked pro bono at a law firm to gain experience, eventually becoming an expert in workers’ compensation. His first nod to the bench was in 1964 when Governor William Scranton appointed him to the Common Pleas Court in Philadelphia.

Barbieri worked his way up the judgeship ladder, earning a seat on the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court in 1971.

He was a founding member of the Justinian Society, a group of Italian-American legal professionals, and was awarded the Bronze Star during World War II, serving on two aircraft carriers in the South Pacific.

Judge Barbieri passed away in 1993. His case laws are available here.

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