University News
Burton Memorial Open House
July 18, 2016
MACOMB, IL -- Friends are invited to attend an open house to honor WIU History Professor Emeritus William L. (Bill) Burton at the family home from 3-5 p.m. July 28. Burton, 87, passed away at May 12.
Clugston-Tibbitts Funeral Home in Macomb is in charge of arrangements.
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MACOMB, IL – Western Illinois University History Professor Emeritus William L. Burton, 87, passed away at May 12 in Macomb.
Burton joined Western's history faculty as an assistant professor in 1957. He retired in 1993. Previously, he taught high school in Virginia. Burton also served as a history consultant for the 3M Corporation and for a major social studies textbook publisher. He served two terms as chair of the Department of History and acted as a Visiting Humanist for the Illinois Humanities Council. Burton served on the editorial boards of two scholarly journals. He was the author and co-author of textbooks and other teaching materials used in elementary and secondary schools and at the college level. For many years he was a Danforth Associate and he helped create the Independent Travel Study Program at Western and for which he served as the academic director.
Burton was the Western Illinois University Distinguished Faculty Lecturer in 1974 and was also inducted into the WIU Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society in 1981.
In his retirement years he was active in the LIFE program of classes for older citizens and led many classes in that program. He was a member of and held offices in the Friends of the Macomb Library. For several years, he was a volunteer reader for the visually impaired.
Survivors include his wife, Doris; son, James; and stepchildren, David (Marcia), Dale and Geoff Simpson. A daughter, Carol L. Smith preceded him in death.
Burton has donated his body to science for medical research. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
A full obituary can be found at clugston-tibbittsfh.com.
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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