Harley True Burton

Who was Harley True Burton?

Harley True Burton was a Texas historian, college president, and small-town mayor. He was born in Decatur, the seat of Wise County, located north of Fort Worth.

Burton attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he procured a Master of Arts degree in history, having studied under the well-known historian of Texas, Eugene C. Barker. Burton's thesis is entitled A History of the JA Ranch, a still-functioning cattle ranch in the Texas Panhandle. The JA was originally owned by Charles Goodnight and John George Adair, whose financial backing entitled him to the "JA" brand, meaning "John Adair". Burton's work was considered especially significant in that the early records of the JA Ranch were destroyed by fire in 1890. The thesis was first published in the Southwestern Historical Quarterly in 1927-1928. It was then published in book form and republished in 1966. It is again an out-of-print rare and sought-after book.

In 1918, Burton accepted a position teaching science and coaching football at Clarendon College, a two-year junior college in Clarendon, the seat of Donley County. The institution was originally affiliated with the Methodist Church. When Burton became the college president, the school became nonsectarian and gained state funding. He served as president until his retirement in 1953.