By Erika Moreno / Delta Staff Writer

A philanthropist, businessman, executive, and professional public speaker who did many wonderful things in this world, Harold Roe Bartle. 

Bartle was a genius. He had a way with words which he knew how to speak very well. His legacy for leadership and impact on the nonprofit profession and education are unsurpassed.  He was a man of great vision. He was committed to improving the world. His legacy lives on in the many lives he impacted. 

Bartle wanted to create a process where college aged students would be trained to work in the nonprofit sector, specifically Boy Scouts. He accepted the position of acting President of Missouri Valley College in 1948 with the understanding that he would be able to start such a program here at Valley.  He did and it was originally named American Humatics. It is now known as the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. 

Heather Troth an associate professor along with Jamie Gold for the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance Program at Missouri Valley didn’t get to meet Bartle but sure is thankful for everything that he did. Troth said, “It is most striking how much of the program remains from the early years. Bartle saw the importance of service learning.  In 1948 this was a very uncommon approach to learning. Today service learning is recognized as an effective and innovative approach to education. Today we integrate service learning into all of our nonprofit courses.”

They have updated and expanded the nonprofit curriculum. They have also identified new opportunities for community engagement and service learning for the MoVal students. 

Troth said the core values of the program remain the same. However,  the legacy of Bartle and all of the alumni who have graduated from the NLA  program drive the students to achieve great things and positively impact the world.

This year the NLA program is into the Food Recovery Network to impact hunger in the community has been and will continue to be an outstanding opportunity for students and the community. 

The development of the H. Roe Bartle Center for Community Engagement was an opportunity for MVC to recognize and appreciate Bartle’s impact on nonprofit education. 

The Nonprofit Leadership Alliance program was also recognised as the 2019 NLA Campus of the Year. 

Gold said: “He understood the need for trained professionals in the nonprofit sector and set out to meet that need. 

The program nowadays has evolved and today they focus on high impact programs to provide to the students with professional development while meeting the needs of the community.

Alex Perez has been working on a documentary regarding the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance and he found a declaration signed on the 100th year anniversary. It was signed by the board of trustees. 

Perez said this hasn’t been celebrated and maybe it’s something the NLA program can look into.