"Mr. Science"

(photo courtesy of Tripp Smith)

One of my favorite teachers was Prof. Carl Burke (see 2001 photo by Tripp Smith), under whom I took Chemistry 101. I recall he had a sharp sense of humor. It was good to see him at the 2006 alumni homecoming a couple of weeks ago... a lot greyer (... well, actually whiter) and with a beard, but still very much recognizable after 30 years. I played soccer with Prof. Burke's son, David.

Prof. Burke retired in 1999. The following excerpt is taken from a May 6, 2005 press release issued by Hargrave:

"Carl Burke, a former 33 year teacher at Hargrave, received the Outstanding Inactive Educator Award. He was renowned at Hargrave for his effective teaching ability in a subject such as Physics. His larger than life personality and devout Christian attitude touched many people during his time at Hargrave. In the community, he is still known as ‘Old St. Nick’ when embracing the Christmas spirit in costume. "