UND Alumnus Tom Barger, Graduated UND In 1931

Tom Barger went to Saudi Arabia in 1937 to help explore for oil, and he stayed there for 32 years. He helped to build the Arabian American Oil Co. (ARAMCO) into a world-class oil-producing venture. Named President in 1959, under his leadership ARAMCO grew to be the largest oil producer in the free world and the first company to produce more than one billion barrels of oil in a year. Profits were among the highest of any major company. An authority and scholar on the Middle East, he promoted social and educational projects for the Saudis. A native of Linton, and a 1931 graduate of UND, Barger retired as Chairman in 1969 and died in 1986 at age 76.