When Otis Barr first joined the ranks of the U.S. Postal Service, ZIP codes were just a year old, first-class stamps were 5 cents and he was earning $2.64 an hour as a part-time flexible clerk in manual operations.

The 76-year-old Columbia-area employee is celebrating his 50th anniversary on the job this year and recently received a federal service pin marking the landmark milestone of his tenure.

Barr’s entire career has been spent in the Columbia area in manual distribution. Today he serves as the general expeditor at the Columbia Processing and Distribution Center in West Columbia, where he directs the flow of mail in and out of the trucks.

Barr, who spent 46 years of his career on the night shift, has the highest seniority of anyone at the Processing and Distribution Center and has accumulated 3,637 hours of sick leave.

Earlier this month, he received a letter of commendation from Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, recognizing his years of service.

Read more here: The State