There’s plenty to Bob Barger’s life story.
He’s a World War II veteran and former flight instructor for the U.S. Navy. When he left the military, Mr. Barger helped raise a family and held a successful job as a salesman.
And Saturday, Mr. Barger finally became a college graduate.
The 96-year-old Toledo resident last stepped foot in a college classroom in the 1950s, but thanks to some investigation by people at the University of Toledo, Mr. Barger received the associate degree he earned while attending UT and Ohio State University during Saturday’s commencement at Toledo.
“It’s a miracle,” Mr. Barger said. “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know, and I know the right people.”
According to Barbara Kopp Miller, dean of University College at Toledo, the process started when Haraz Ghanbari, the school's director of military and veteran affairs, met Mr. Barger at an American Legion function. After finding out Mr. Barger had attended college from 1947-1950, Mr. Ghanbari contacted the university archives and found out Mr. Barger had more than 80 credit hours, including some from Ohio State. That gave him more than enough to qualify for his associate degree.
WATCH: Bob Barger talks about graduating from University of Toledo
Mr. Barger was the first student to receive his degree during Saturday’s commencement at Toledo. The UT Student Veterans of America purchased the cap and gown for Mr. Barger, and he’ll wear a red-white-and-blue cord to signify his military service.
“I’ve been in a different worlds for the last few days, that’s for sure. (The attention) gets kind of embarrassing,” Mr. Barger said. “I feel like it’s genuine. People are happy for me.”
Mr Barger attended Ohio State for a year, taking classes during the morning and flying in the afternoon, completing primary and secondary flight training in Columbus. He received around 30 credit hours there, which Mr. Ghanbari helped dig up.
“I loved flying,” Mr. Barger said. “There’s nothing like getting up there and floating around in the clouds. You’re in your own little world.”
The degree wasn’t handed to Mr. Barger — he had to reapply as a student and then apply for graduation, Ms. Kopp Miller said.
“We have students from many diverse backgrounds in the University College,” she said. “This shows how strong our community is at the University of Toledo.”
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Mr. Barger grew up on a 300-acre farm in southern Ohio, where, as he puts it, “saw plenty of back ends of horses” while plowing corn and tobacco fields.
He was a pilot in the Navy, flying scout observations and sea planes, and at one time, he thought he was headed for Pearl Harbor. He was trained to be catapulted off of battleships, along with scout observation and rescue missions. However, his grades were so good, he was sent to flight instructor school. Most of his students graduated into the fleet, and he never lost a cadet.
While stationed at the Naval base in New Orleans, he force landed three planes, including one in a cornfield next to a high school.
“I figured I would give the kids a show,” he said. “When I was walking away, one of them asked me, ‘Mister, do you do that often?’ And I told him, ‘Not if I can help it.’”
After leaving the service, he settled down with his wife and young daughter, working as a salesman for Canon Paper Company while taking classes at UT. He left school and never gave much thought to a degree afterwards.
And now that he has a degree, a friend has put together an updated resume for him.
“It’s been a wonderful experience,” Mr. Barger said. “I never thought it would happen to me. You just wonder what’s going to go on next anymore.”
Contact Jeremy Schneider at jschneider@theblade.com, 419-724-6082, or on Twitter @j1schneider.
First Published May 5, 2018, 5:35 p.m.
