An Inspirational Legacy : George Barthalow and State College of Florida Foundation

By Tom Reese | Photo by Nancy Guth | February 2024

After graduating from Riverview High School in Sarasota in the early 1970s, George Barthalow was left with a difficult decision regarding college. 

George was planning to immediately attend a full four-year university, but his father suffered a massive stroke shortly after graduation, putting the family in a difficult financial situation. He did some soul-searching, decided to stay local, and attend Manatee Junior College (MJC) to affordably obtain his associate degree and be close to his family. 

“MJC provided me with a security blanket that I wouldn’t have gotten elsewhere,” says George. “It was almost like an extended family for me as I furthered my education.” 

Manatee Junior College was established in 1957 by the state of Florida to provide more affordable options for people seeking higher education beyond high school. When George attended in the early 1970s, it was home to less than a thousand students. As MJC continued to grow and expand its operations, in 1985 its name changed to Manatee Community College. Fast forward to 2009. The school changed names again to its current title—State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF)—and began offering students the opportunity to obtain bachelor’s degrees for the first time. 

“SCF provided me with a very strong academic foundation for my future success. Back then we were charged a flat rate of tuition per semester, and we could take as many classes as we wanted. So instead of paying per credit hour, we paid one affordable fee. I would load up and take at least 18 credit hours a semester.” 

In addition to finding success in the classroom, George found plenty of success in other areas of college life at MJC as well. He was an active participant in the debate and speech teams and formed tight mentorships with several members of leadership at the school. He was elected Student Body President, met the board of trustees, and worked directly with Dr. Samuel R. Neel Jr, the first president of the college. 

To help with the cost of tuition and day-to-day life, George applied for and received multiple scholarships while attending MJC. The Isherwood Scholarship was given to students who participated and excelled on their college’s speech team. This specific scholarship covered the entirety of George’s tuition. He was also awarded the Selby Foundation Scholarship each semester at MJC, which helped pay for gas, books, food, and other necessities. The Selby Foundation provides renewable scholarships for students who demonstrate maturity, grit, and resilience in the face of adversity. He also received a scholarship directly through the college to help with expenses. 

Upon graduating from MJC with his associate degree, George went on to attend the University of Florida to obtain his bachelor’s degree. He continued his education at the University of South Florida and received a master’s degree in the field of guidance and counseling. He began working as a counselor for the state of Florida and worked his way up to managerial positions in a short time. 

“My time studying at MJC was a nurturing environment for me. The professors really cared and wanted to help as much as they could. It wasn’t like attending a massive university with 30,000 students and getting lost in the crowd. It gave me the confidence I needed to keep learning and furthering my education.”

George wanted to continue that for other students just starting their higher education and eventually found himself back at the place where it all started. In 1993 he began teaching part-time at Manatee Community College as an adjunct professor. Today, George still teaches part-time at the college, known now as SCF. 

Through his work with the state of Florida and SCF, George was able to invest his earnings and build a portfolio that allowed him to consider the possibility of becoming involved in philanthropy. He decided to establish a legacy fund that will provide scholarships to students beginning their higher education at SCF. 

“I started thinking about what to do with some of the money I’ve saved. After carefully thinking it over, I decided I really wanted to make a difference in the lives of others in my community. I thought the best thing I could do is leave a legacy scholarship and help other students that started out like me. Maybe some of these students are strapped financially. If I could help make their first step easier, it could open a lot of opportunities for them.”

This scholarship will take effect after his passing. It will be named The George A. Barthalow Endowed Scholarship Fund, and it will help students reach their higher education goals generation after generation.

Despite attending three different colleges, George chose SCF for his philanthropy because it always felt like home. As both a student and adjunct professor, he felt like he made a family with his fellow students and professors. He recalls a time where things came back to him full circle, and realized he made an impact on others.

“I was working in my full-time job as an area supervisor and all of us were away at a training conference in Orlando. I walked into one of the meeting rooms and was getting ready to take notes on the presentations when someone came up from behind and tapped me on the shoulder. I looked around and recognized her as a student I taught eight or nine years earlier. I stood up and she hugged me, and then she thanked me. She said, ‘It is because of you that I’m here.’ Come to find out she was a supervisor working for the state of Florida, just like me. She took my Career Explorations class and that’s when she decided to go into counseling. That blew me away. I actually made a major difference in this woman’s life.” 

George will continue to teach part-time at SCF and hopes to continue to make a difference in the lives of students at the same campus where it all started for him in the 1970s.  An amazing journey indeed for a caring and generous person who will leave an inspirational legacy. 

If you would like to make a difference in the life of a student or discuss gift planning options, please call Cassandra Holmes, State College of Florida Foundation at 941.752.5654, or you can email her directly at HolmesC@SCF.edu.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about State College of Florida Foundation, please visit SCF-Foundation.org.