Title: William L. Burlison Papers, 1888-1968

Series Number: 8/6/22

Acquired:

9/63; 12/84

In 2016, the granddaughter of Professor Burlison donated additional materials to the University Archives. This second accession was added to the original finding aid beginning with box 3.

Volume: 2.9 cubic feet

Arrangement

Creator(s)

Biographical Note

WILLIAM L. BURLSION (1882-1958)

William L. Burlison (1882-1958) was a professor of agronomy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC ) from 1915 to 1951 and head of department from 1920 to 1951. He was a researcher of crop production, soybeans, and soil conservation.

William Leonidas Burlison (1882-1958) was born in Harrison, Arkansas, on September 3, 1882 to William Washington and Amanda Ercila (Pettit) Burlison. After earning a BS at Oklahoma Agricultural & Mechanical College in 1905, Burlison received his Master's degree in 1908 and his PhD in 1915, both in Agronomy at UIUC. Burlison was hired as associate professor in the Agronomy Department at UIUC in 1915. In 1918, he advanced to full professor and served as the Head of the Agronomy Department from 1920 until his retirement in 1951. He married Miss Flossy B. Lewis in 1909 and they had four children.

His classes and research focused on topics such as crop production, soybeans, soil conservation, cereal crops, corn, soil surveys, and wartime crop production. Burlison published bulletins, circulars, and scientific and popular articles, including one book, Farm Crop Projects (1930).

Burlison served on professional and government organizations such as the American Society of Agronomy (President, 1927; Fellow, 1936), American Soybean Processors Association (1930), Board of Governors - National Farm Chemurgic Council (Vice President, ca. 1935), Illinois War Board (World War I), Civilian Defense - University of Illinois (Commander, World War II), the American Association for Advancement of Science, and on the board of the campus YMCA. He received several honors and awards, including the Service Plaque from the Illinois Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (1947) and the Holbert Medal from the Funk Bros. Seed Company (1950).

After his retirement in 1951, Burlison served as an Honorary Member of the Illinois Crop Improvement Association.

William Burlison died on December 25, 1958.

Sources:

Biography of Dr. William Leonidas Burlison (as of June 1, 1951), W. L. Burlison Papers, Box 3, Folder 14

http://www.maburlison.com/TNG/histories/leonidas_bio.htm (accessed November 2, 2016)

Subjects (links to similar materials)

Administrative Information

Locations for this record series:

146 Library, 1408 W. Gregory Drive (Prior Request Preferred)
146 Library, 1408 W. Gregory Drive

Click "Submit request (Aeon)" to view locations for each box.

Submit request (Aeon)

Service Location	Boxes	Request
146 Library, 1408 W. Gregory Drive (Prior Request Preferred)	4	Request 4
146 Library, 1408 W. Gregory Drive (Prior Request Preferred)	Box 1-3	Request Box 1-3
146 Library, 1408 W. Gregory Drive	OS-24	Request OS-24

Description:

William L. Burlison (1882-1958) was a professor of agronomy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC ) from 1915 to 1951, and head of department (1920-51). He was a researcher of crop production, soybeans, and soil conservation.

Papers of William L. Burlison include personal materials, correspondence, clippings, photographs, programs, and scrapbooks relating to the soybean industry, crop production and research, Agronomy Department, Civilian Defense (1942-45), Oklahoma schools (1905-08), Oklahoma A & M University, Eugene Davenport (1922-40), and agricultural journalism.

Publications relate to crop production, phosphates, cereal crops, corn, soil surveys, soybeans, cold resistance of plants and wartime crop production.

Online Images / Records

Detailed Description
Box 1
Box 2
Series 1: Biographical and Personal Materials
Box 3
Oversize Portfolio Box 24