Northland College Athletics

Barr is regarded as probably the finest basketball player in Northland history. He played on four winning teams. He was outstanding on defense and served as the playmaker and feeder on offense as a freshman and sophomore. He came into his own as a scorer as a junior and senior and was the top point maker both years. Barr was captain the last two years and led the Lumberjacks to winning season with his scoring, defense, and most important, his inspirational leadership. Barr also competed in baseball.

He entered the army air corps as a senior, earning his degree in absentia. Barr volunteered for the Jimmy Doolittle raids over Tokyo in 1942. His plane was forced down on mainland China after the raid and the crew imprisoned. Barr was a prisoner of the Japanese for 3 ½ years, most of the time spent in solitary confinement.

After the war, he earned his master's degree from Columbia after the war and served as a high school coach and teacher. He went to the Rock Island (IL) arsenal as a civilian weapons specialist and held the air force rank of colonel at the time of death in July 1967.