Robert James Barthell Memorial Scholarship Endowment

Robert James Barthell was a member of the Northwest College faculty in the 1970s and early 1980s, teaching literature, composition, and popular culture. He enjoyed people and embraced the intellectual and human diversity of the NWC campus. Some of the happiest and most productive years of his professional life were spent at NWC, and according to his family, Bob’s time working at NWC was life altering.

Bob grew up in a large family, and he was encouraged by an officer in the army to attend college. He was a first-generation college student who believed a liberal arts education informs and enriches society and provides pathways to opportunity for students. Bob especially believed that two-year colleges like NWC, often built in rural areas, provide access to careers and an accessible jump-start to four-year degree programs.

Bob’s family created the Robert James Barthell scholarship to honor his life’s work. Their hope is that supporting inquisitive students with a desire to write will inspire individuals in the same way Bob inspired his students and colleagues at Northwest College.