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.
From the description of Papers, 1918-1996 (University of North Dakota). WorldCat record id: 601465637
