George Burnham

Who was George Burnham?

George Burnham was a banker and Republican politician from San Diego, California.

Burnham was born 1868 in London, England, to James and Maria Ann Burnham. He immigrated in 1881 to the United States with his parents, who settled in Spring Valley, Minnesota. He attended public schools in London and Minnesota. Burnham worked as a clerk 1884–1886, then moved to Jackson, Minnesota, in 1887 where he entered the retail shoe business. In 1901 he moved to Spokane, Washington, and worked in real estate and ranching.

Burnham moved to San Diego in 1903 and continued to work in real estate with his brother John, until 1917 when he took up banking. Burnham was active in public affairs. Burnham was one of the organizers of the Panama-California Exposition in 1909, serving as vice president from 1909 to 1916. He was also member of the Honorary Commercial Commission to China in 1910, member of the San Diego Library Commission 1926–1932, a member of the San Diego Scientific Library 1926–1932, and vice president of the California-Pacific International Exposition 1935–1936.

Burnham married Neva May Ashley on October 1, 1890, and they had six children, Harold, Percy, Helen, Laurence, Virginia, and Ben. After she died, he married Florence Kennett Dupee.