Francis Burr

Francis Hardon Burr (September 15, 1886 – December 5, 1910) was an American football player. He was a first-team All-American guard in 1906 and captain of the 1908 Harvard Crimson football team. After he died of typhoid fever in 1910, the Francis H. Burr Award was established in his honor.

Francis Burr
Harvard Crimson
PositionGuard
ClassGraduate
Personal information
Born:(1886-09-15)September 15, 1886
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Died:December 5, 1910(1910-12-05) (aged 24)
Boston
Career history
CollegeHarvard (1905–1908)
Career highlights and awards
All-American (1905, 1906)

Biography

Burr was raised in Brookline, Massachusetts, the son of Herman M. Burr. He attended the Phillips-Andover Academy before enrolling at Harvard University in 1905.[1] He was a starter at the guard position for the Harvard football team for four years from 1905 to 1908 and also did the punting and place-kicking for the team.[2] He was selected as a first-team All-American in 1906 and as the captain of the 1908 Harvard football team.[3][4][5][6][7][8] In addition to playing four years on the football team, Burr also competed for two years on Harvard's track team, one year on the baseball team and one year on the tennis team.[9] He was also the first marshal of his class and president of his freshman class.[10]

In 1909, he enrolled at Harvard Law School, and in 1910, he became the chief lineman coach at Harvard while in his second year as a law student. In early October 1910, he became ill with typhoid fever. He died at Des Brisay Hospital in December 1910 at age 24 after his third relapse.[2] Burr's funeral was held at the Appleton Chapel in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and all recitations at Harvard were suspended for one hour on the day of his funeral.[11]

In 1914, Burr's friends established the Francis H. Burr Award in his honor. The award was given each year to a senior, selected by the Dean of Harvard College and the Chairman of the Athletic Committee, who "combines as nearly as possible Burr's remarkable qualities of character, leadership, scholarship, and athletic ability."[12][13] Past recipients of the Francis H. Burr Award include Henry Dunker (1924),[14] J.P. Chase (1927),[15] F. J. Mardulier (1929),[10] Vernon Munroe Jr. (1930),[16] Barry Wood (1931),[17] Richard Ames (1933),[18] Chester Litman (1934),[19] Richard H. Sullivan (1938),[20] Loren G. MacKinney (1941),[21] Gary Singleterry,[22] and Richard K. Hausler.[23]

References
  1. "Untimely Summons: Death Ends Promising Career of Francis H. Burr of Harvard". The Post-Standard. 1910-12-05.
  2. "F. H. BURR, HARVARD'S 1908 FOOTBALL CAPTAIN DIES: Succumbs to Typhoid Fever After Long Illness—Famous as Athlete, and Coached Linemen This Season—Made Memorable Speech at Mass Meeting When His Team Beat Yale". The Washington Post. 1910-12-05.
  3. "Walter Camp Football Foundation". Archived from the original on 2009-03-30.
  4. Caspar Whitney (1907). "The View-Point". The Outing Magazine. p. 537.
  5. "'Bob' Edgren Picks Out An All-American Team: Yale and Princeton Predominate His Choice". The Post-Standard (Syracuse). 1905-12-03.
  6. "'Philistine' Is Generous: Sun Accords Syracuse Bank Amid First Sixtten". The Post-Standard. 1906-12-04.
  7. "New Football Produces Individual Brilliancy: Many Players Merit Places on Fanciful All-American Team". The New York Times. 1906-12-09.
  8. "Choose Eckey Over Libbey: Eastern Authorities Give Maroon Star Place on All American". Lake County Times (Hammond, IN). 1906-12-15.
  9. "HARVARD ATHLETE DEAD: Francis H. Burr Was One of the Best Known Football Players". Naugatuck Daily News. 1910-12-05.
  10. "F. J. MARDULIER '30 WINS BURR AWARD: Excelled in Hurdles on Last Year's Team--Ranks High Among Students at Engineering School". Harvard Crimson. 1929-10-25.
  11. "Burr's Funeral Held". The Post-Standard. 1910-12-07.
  12. "FRANCIS H. BURR AWARD GIVEN TO CHESTER LITMAN: Awarded to Senior Combination of Character, Scholarship, Ability in Athletics, and Leadership". Harvard Crimson. 1934-10-10.
  13. "FOR FRANCIS BURR MEMORIAL: Harvard Scholarship In Name of Late Football Star". New Brunswick Times. 1914-01-15.
  14. "BURR SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED TO DUNKER: Scholarship Established in Memory of Francis H. Burr '09--Dunker Is President of Student Council". Harvard Crimson. 1924-11-15.
  15. "J.P. CHASE AWARDED BURR SCHOLARSHIP GIVEN FOR YEAR: Confer Bonaparte Award Upon A. S. Reinhart--Granted for Highest Standing in Government". Harvard Crimson. 1927-11-17.
  16. "MUNROE, KOWARSKY AND SHUEBRUK WIN IMPORTANT AWARDS: Peter Shuebruk '33 Awarded Wendell Scholarship -- Napoleon Bonaparte Prize Goes to Kowarsky". 1930-11-01.
  17. "GIVE SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS TO WOOD, POPPER, AND BURR: Is Given Prize for Outstanding Senior Entering Law School--Government Scholarship Awarded to Popper". 1931-10-27.
  18. "AMES WINS AWARD OF 1933 FRANCIS BURR SCHOLARSHIP: Barry Wood, Vernon Munroe, Previous Winners--Dean, Athletic Committee Pick Recipient". Harvard Crimson. 1933-10-31.
  19. "FRANCIS H. BURR AWARD GIVEN TO CHESTER LITMAN: Awarded to Senior Combination of Character, Scholarship, Ability in Athletics, and Leadership". Harvard Crimson. 1934-10-10.
  20. "SULLIVAN AWARDED BURR SCHOLARSHIP: Student Council President, Phi Beta Kappa Society, Basketball Squad, and Album Business Manage". Harvard Crimson. 1938-11-16.
  21. "MacKinney Given Francis Burr Award As Outstanding Senior Class Scholar-Athlete: Scholarship Holder Wins Coveted Prize". Harvard Crimson. 1941-11-17.
  22. "Colburn Receives Bingham Award At Annual Senior Athletic Dinner". Harvard Crimson. 1970-05-19.
  23. "Awards". Harvard Crimson. 1972-05-31.
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