ELWYN B. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
CHESTER FRITZ LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA 58202

JAMES D. BARGER, M.D. PAPERS

COLLECTION: OGL#1335

DATES: 1918-1996

SIZE: 3.75 linear feet, 150 photographs, 3 oversized folders

INTRODUCTION

ACQUISITION: The James D. Barger, M.D. Papers were deposited in the Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection by Susan Barger, Santa Fe, New Mexico, on September 7, 1996 (Acc.#96- 2094), July 23, 1997 (Acc.#97-2137), and in August and September 1997 (Acc.#91-2147).

ACCESS: Available for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Department of Special Collections.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

James D. Barger was born on May 17, 1917, in Bismarck, North Dakota, and spent his childhood in nearby Linton. He graduated from Linton High School in 1934, and was active in track. He enrolled in St. Mary's College in Winona, Minnesota, but transferred to the University of North Dakota in 1935. He graduated from UND in 1939 with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Science, Literature and Arts, as well as a Bachelor of Science from the School of Medicine. While at UND, Barger lettered in track, was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity, and was active with the Newman Center. In 1941, he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a doctorate of medicine. He interned at Milwaukee County Hospital in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and began his studies at the Mayo Foundation in Rochester, Minnesota, in 1942.

That same year, he joined the United States Medical Corps. He served until 1946 and rose to the rank of major. In 1949, Barger completed a pathology speciality from the Mayo Foundation. He moved to Arizona, where he worked as a pathologist and consultant to several hospitals. Barger became the director of clinical pathology at Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1964. In the later stages of his career, he served as senior consultant in pathology for Laboratory Medicine Consultants in Las Vegas, and held the position of Clinical Professor in the University of Nevada's Department of Medicine and Pathology. Barger was an active scholar who wrote over 50 articles for medical journals, and co-authored several books. In 1975, the UND Alumni Association gave him its highest honor, the Sioux Award. In 1977, he was named Pathologist of the Year by the College of American Pathologists.

Dr. Barger was also a bibliophile who collected rare books on the history of medicine, especially the discipline of pathology. Barger donated his book collection of over 1,300 volumes to UND’s Harley E. French Library of the Health Sciences. The Barger Collection was a significant addition to the Henry D. Benwell History of Medicine Reading Room.

While in the service, Barger married Susie B. Helm, who died in 1951. He remarried in 1952 to Josephine Steiner, who died in 1971. In 1980, Barger married Jane Ray, whom he had known from his days at UND. She died in 1991. Barger had four children: James Jr., Mary Susan, Michael Thomas, and Mary Elizabeth. James D. Barger died on April 3, 2003, in Las Vegas.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The James D. Barger, M.D. Papers document Barger’s personal and professional life, and date from 1918-1996. The collection is arranged into four series as follows:

Series I: Personal/Family
These materials date from the 1920s to the 1990s and relate to Barger’s personal life and family history. Included is correspondence, newspaper clippings, Linton High School and University of North Dakota materials, and keepsakes. Box 1, Folder 1 - Box 1, Folder 42

Series II:Professional Activities
This series contains items relating to Barger’s work as a pathologist. Included is material related to conferences attended, organizations with which he was involved, and honors he received. Copies of journal articles, as well as correspondence is included. Box 1, Folder 43 - Box 2, Folder 35

Series III:Sporting Events
This series includes ticket stubs from sporting events, as well as programs and unpublished narratives from various track meets around the world. Box 2, Folder 36 - Box 2, Folder 47

Series IV :Artifacts
These items consist of personal and family keepsakes, including medals, ribbons and patches Barger earned at athletic events, and mementoes collected from track and field meets. Box 3, Folder 1 - Box 3, Folder 10

150 photographs were separated and added to the Orin G. Libby Photograph Collection. The photographs depict Dr. Barger, as well as his family and friends. There are also many photographs of the UND and St. Mary’s College (Winona, Minnesota) track teams.

Three oversized folders were placed in the Oversize File Cabinets. The folders contain copies of the Grand Forks Herald dating from the visit of Norwegian Crown Prince Olav to Grand Forks in June 1939, and several publications related to track and field.

BOX AND FOLDER INVENTORY

Box 1
Folder
SERIES I: PERSONAL/FAMILY

1. Personal history statement (1949)
2. Linton High School, class of 1934 picture
3. Linton High School graduation, 1934
4. Programs from Capital City Track and Field Meets (1932,1933)
5. Track diary (1930's)
6. UND graduation programs and announcements (1939)
7. Degrees from UND
8. UND Alumni Review (1939)
9. Items from college
10. University of Pennsylvania, class of 1941, 30th reunion
11. World War II discharge papers
12. Medical Licenses
13. Certificates for continued medical education
14. Expired medical and engineering licenses and certificates
15. Business cards
16. Items related to James Barger's nomination and investiture to the order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem
17. Property-Arizona
18. Oil lease-Louisiana
19. Barger family correspondence and keepsakes (1920s)
20. Barger family correspondence and keepsakes (1930s)
21. Barger family correspondence and keepsakes (1940s)
22. Barger family correspondence and keepsakes (1950s)
23. Barger family correspondence and keepsakes (1960s)
24. Barger family correspondence and keepsakes (1970s)
25. Barger family correspondence and keepsakes (1980s)
26. Newspaper clippings about Barger family
27. Correspondence about Mike Barger
28. Michael T. Barger affairs and material related to his estate
29. Letters from James Barger's grandfathers
30. Correspondence with Thomas Barger
31. "Greek Inscriptions Deciphered" by Thomas Barger
32. Items related to Jane Ray Regan Barger
33. Ray family items
34. Personal correspondence
35. Various news clippings
36. Maps and mementos from trip around the world (1960) [Folder 1]
37. Maps and mementos from trip around the world (1960) [Folder 2]
38. Bills and receipts from trip around the world (1960)
39. Expired Passports
40. The Ray Hotel, Dickinson, ND
41. First National Bank of Linton, ND-Bylaws
42. Newspaper clippings about North Dakota

SERIES II: PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

43. Items on the history of The College of American Pathologists
44. Pathologist of the year, 1977
45. CAP accreditation for Sunrise Hospital Lab
46. 1972 Nevada Lab Survey Report
47. CAP letters of congratulations
48. CAP press releases about Dr. Barger
49. CAP correspondence
50. CAP speeches
51. CAP publications
52. Newspaper clippings-CAP
53. "Pathology Daily News"
54. Editorials in "Pathologist" by Dr. Barger (1983)
55. Issues of "Pathologist" regarding Dr. Barger
56. Articles on pathology
57. Items related to Dr. Barger's activities in ASQC
58. Items on quality control [Folder 1]
59. Items on quality control [Folder 2]

Box 2
Folder

1. Items on quality control [Folder 3]
2. Items on accreditation and quality
3. "Practical Quality Control in Clinical Chemistry Lab", 1976
4. Overheads and notes from quality control speech
5. Continuing medical education accreditation commission meeting overview (1992)
6. Nevada education accreditation commission, policy and procedures manual
7. Sunrise Hospital-continuing medical education program
8. "A simplification of the Technique for Demonstrating Alkaline and Acid Phosphate in Tissues", 1947
9. "The Use of Thionyl Chloride in Preparation of Schiff's Reagent" (1948), reprint from "Science"
10. "Research in a Small Hospital" from "Trustee", May 1955
11. "Experimental Coccidiodomycocis in Dogs", 1958
12. "A Routine Method for the Study of Leukoagglutinins" (1961)
13. "Levey and Jennings Revisited" (1991)
14. Articles relating to the history of medicine
15. Articles relating to autopsy
16. Articles relating to bodily fluids
17. Articles relating to lung disease [Part 1]
18. Articles relating to lung disease [Part 2]
19. Articles referring to synovial fluid
20. "The Technique of Foetal Transfusion in the Treatment of Severe Hemolytic Disease", BMA Conference, 1964
21. Articles on commission on office laboratory assessment
22. Various pamphlets
23. Various articles on medicine, [Folder 1]
24. Various articles on medicine, [Folder 2]
25. Various articles on medicine, [Folder 3]
26. Correspondence-The 9th Congress of The European Society of Hematology, (1963)
27. Correspondence-with John Hoagland
28. Correspondence-with Robert C. Horn
29. Correspondence-with George Munsick
30. Correspondence-with Donald Lindberg
31. Correspondence-with Padre Maryknoll
32. Professional correspondence [Folder 1]
33. Professional correspondence [Folder 2]
34. Professional correspondence [Folder 3]
35. Retirement, 1979

SERIES III: SPORTING EVENTS

36. Sporting events, ticket stubs
37. European Cup-World Cup 1977
38. British Commonwealth Games 1978
39. World Cup II 1979
40. Coppa Del Mundo 1981
41. France 1985
42. British Commonwealth Games 1986
43. Track and Field World Championships 1989
44. Track and field programs [Folder 1]
45. Track and field programs [Folder 2]
46. 1976 American League Championship Series program
47. Various track items

Box 3
Folder
SERIES IV:ARTIFACTS

1. Various patches belonging to James Barger
2. Letterman patches, Linton High School
3. Track medals, Linton High
4. Letterman patches, UND
5. Track medals and ribbons, UND
6. Meeting delegate ribbons
7. Barger family correspondence and keepsakes (1910's)
8. Wallet belonging to Michael Barger
9. Track and field memorabilia
10. Beaded indian belt

SEPARATIONS RECORD

150 photographs were separated and placed in the Orin G. Libby Photograph Collection. The photographs depict Dr. Barger, as well as his family and friends. There are also many photographs of the UND and St. Mary’s College (Winona, Minnesota) track teams.

Three oversized folders were placed in the Oversize File Cabinets. The folders contain copies of the Grand Forks Herald dating from the visit of Norwegian Crown Prince Olav to Grand Forks in June 1939, and several publications related to track and field.

Folder 1:

Emmons Country Record: Linton, North Dakota, April 4, 1918
Grand Forks Herald: May 22, 1938
Grand Forks Herald: June 6, 1938, Morning and Evening Editions
Grand Forks Herald: June 7, 1938, Morning and Evening Editions

Folder 2:

"Mexico 1968, XIX Olympiad, Bulletin 4"
"Mexico 1968, XIX Olympiad, Bulletin 5"
Life: September 22, 1972

Folder 3:

Runner's World 1973 Pictorial
Sports Illustrated: September 12, 1977
Souvenir Magazine XI Commonwealth Games August 2, 1978

The following publications were placed in the North Dakota Book Collection:

The North Dakota Banker: vol. 22, no.9: July 1932
Catholic Daughters Book of Recipes: 1935
Dickinson High School 50th reunion, classes of 1936, '37, '38, '39: July 31, August 1 & 2, 1987
Dickinson, Serving Farms and Ranches in Southwestern North Dakota: Dickinson Chamber of Commerce, undated

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