For a group of students studying nonprofit management, some of the most meaningful lessons this semester came not from a textbook, but from boxes of historical records in Special Collections at UTA Libraries. 

Inside those boxes were the working papers of the Texas Bureau of Economic Understanding, an organization originally funded by members of the Texas business community to promote the free enterprise system. Over time, the organization expanded its mission to support Americanism in Texas through educational programs for public schools. 

Through letters, meeting minutes, financial records, speeches, photographs, maps, newsletters and newspaper clippings, students began to piece together how the nonprofit operated, communicated its mission and evolved over time. 

For philanthropy and public relations major Marquel McDuffie, the experience quickly changed the way she thought about the relationship between history and nonprofit work. 

“When we first heard there were 48 boxes of material, I thought, ‘How are we going to get through all of this?’ But once we started looking through the folders, it was fascinating to see what people were saying and how organizations worked back then,” McDuffie said. “I didn’t think history and nonprofit management would go together, but comparing the past to today showed me that history connects to just about everything.” 

McDuffie was one of six students in a nonprofit management course taught by Carmin McKinney, assistant professor of practice. The class centered on a major research project that brought students into Special Collections several times during the semester to work directly with archival materials. 

“This is the only research project we do in the philanthropy major,” McKinney said. “Spending time in Special Collections helped students understand the resources available here at the university. It also gave them a chance to see the trajectory of a nonprofit organization, how things were done before modern technology, and how that compares to what nonprofits have today.” 

As students worked through the collection, they began to notice patterns in how the organization communicated with supporters, developed programs and structured its work. Those observations served as the foundation for their final presentations, in which they compared the Texas Bureau’s practices with those of nonprofit organizations operating in Texas today. 

“Our experience was amazing,” said Isadora Paul, a philanthropy major. “The Special Collections team was very receptive and guided us through analyzing and citing the materials. It was fascinating to connect the past to the present and see how nonprofits have grown.” 

The experience also brings fresh perspectives into the reading room. 

“I love seeing what students notice in the collections. Sometimes they find things I haven’t noticed or bring a completely different perspective,” Claney said. “Watching them make those connections is always exciting.” 

At the end of the semester, the students presented their findings after analyzing records from the Texas Bureau of Economic and Business Research and comparing its management practices with those of similar nonprofits in Texas today. 

For Paul, the project brought together two sides of her education in a way that felt especially meaningful. 

“Being able to combine nonprofit management with archival research was really impactful for me,” Paul said. “Experiences like this help enrich our career skills and prepare us for what we’ll do after graduation.” 

Moments like these show what can happen when students step into the archives and spend time with the historical record. Through partnerships with faculty and hands-on projects like this one, UTA Libraries helps students connect the history of their field with the work they hope to do in the future.