Samuel Preston Bayard

Samuel Preston Bayard was an American folklorist and musicologist, born April 10, 1908, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He earned a B.A. in English from Pennsylvania State University in 1934 and later an M.A. from Harvard University. From 1928 to 1963, he collected fiddle and fife tunes in southwestern Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia.

He is known for his interest in the melodies of traditional music at a time when often only the texts were collected. He introduced the concept of "melodic families" — groups of tunes that appear structurally related — and traced many traditional American fiddle tunes back to the British Isles. He established the folklore program at Pennsylvania State University, taught there from 1945 to 1973, and served as president of the American Folklore Society from 1965 to 1966.