Roy E. Burt
Encyclopedia
Roy Everett Burt was a Methodist
clergyman and an American socialist politician and functionary. Burt is best remembered as the Executive Secretary of the Socialist Party of America
from 1936 to 1939.
, Illinois
on September 16, 1890 to Zenas Wesley Burt and Cora May Hall. His family moved to Kansas
when Roy was 9 years old. Later they left the farm to move to a mining community in the Southeastern part of the state.
As a boy, Burt worked in and around the mines and as a clerk in shops in his hometown.
Burt earned a teacher's degree from the University of Kansas
at Lawrence
and did graduate work at Northwestern University
and the Garrett Biblical Institute. He worked as a teacher, principal, and high school superintendent in Northeastern Oklahoma
.
Burt was ordained a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church
and served a pastor of a Methodist Episcopal Church in Rock Springs, Wyoming
for 4 and a half years. During this interval, Burt also conducted a Labor college in cooperation with the Central Trades Union of Rock Springs and served as associate director of workers' education for the state of Wyoming under the auspices of the Wyoming State Federation of Labor.
He married Ethyl E. Denton on 30 December 30, 1913. During the years of the World War I
, Burt resided in Lawrence, Kansas
. Burt remained active in the church throughout his life as a Christian socialist.
From 1928 to 1933, Burt was connected with the Board of Education of the Methodist Episcopal Church, studying and investigating social and economic problems.
Burt was a member of the Retail Clerks Union and the American Federation of Teachers
during his working career.
In 1932, Burt was the candidate of the SPA for Governor of Illinois
.
During the fall 1936 electoral campaign, Burt was employed as a speaker on behalf of the Thomas
-Nelson
campaign. He spoke continuously from September 13 to November 1, starting his tour in Pennsylvania before heading to the Pacific coast and back through the Southwest.
Roy Burt took over for Norman Thomas
protege Clarence O. Senior as Executive Secretary of the Socialist Party of America
effective December 15, 1936.
After taking a leave of absence on March 1, 1939, during which he was replaced temporarily by Arthur G. McDowell, Burt resigned as National Executive Secretary late in that same month. He was replaced at the April 15–17, 1939 session of the National Executive Committee by Travers Clement
of Los Gatos, California
, himself a member of the NEC.
. He died on April 14, 1967 in Topeka, Kansas
.
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
clergyman and an American socialist politician and functionary. Burt is best remembered as the Executive Secretary of the Socialist Party of America
Socialist Party of America
The Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization...
from 1936 to 1939.
Early years
Burt was born on a farm in Coles CountyColes County, Illinois
Coles County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 53,873, which is an increase of 1.3% from 53,196 in 2000. Its county seat is Charleston, which is also the home of Eastern Illinois University....
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
on September 16, 1890 to Zenas Wesley Burt and Cora May Hall. His family moved to Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
when Roy was 9 years old. Later they left the farm to move to a mining community in the Southeastern part of the state.
As a boy, Burt worked in and around the mines and as a clerk in shops in his hometown.
Burt earned a teacher's degree from the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
at Lawrence
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
and did graduate work at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
and the Garrett Biblical Institute. He worked as a teacher, principal, and high school superintendent in Northeastern Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.
Burt was ordained a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
and served a pastor of a Methodist Episcopal Church in Rock Springs, Wyoming
Rock Springs, Wyoming
Rock Springs is a city in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 18,708 at the 2000 census. Rock Springs is the principal city of the Rock Springs micropolitan statistical area, which has a population of 37,975....
for 4 and a half years. During this interval, Burt also conducted a Labor college in cooperation with the Central Trades Union of Rock Springs and served as associate director of workers' education for the state of Wyoming under the auspices of the Wyoming State Federation of Labor.
He married Ethyl E. Denton on 30 December 30, 1913. During the years of the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Burt resided in Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
. Burt remained active in the church throughout his life as a Christian socialist.
From 1928 to 1933, Burt was connected with the Board of Education of the Methodist Episcopal Church, studying and investigating social and economic problems.
Burt was a member of the Retail Clerks Union and the American Federation of Teachers
American Federation of Teachers
The American Federation of Teachers is an American labor union founded in 1916 that represents teachers, paraprofessionals and school-related personnel; local, state and federal employees; higher education faculty and staff, and nurses and other healthcare professionals...
during his working career.
Political career
During the 1930s, Burt worked for the Socialist Party as a field organizer, a job which took him to almost every state of the union during the course of his activities establishing and building party locals.In 1932, Burt was the candidate of the SPA for Governor of Illinois
Governor of Illinois
The Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state....
.
During the fall 1936 electoral campaign, Burt was employed as a speaker on behalf of the Thomas
Norman Thomas
Norman Mattoon Thomas was a leading American socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America.-Early years:...
-Nelson
George A. Nelson
George A. Nelson was a dairy farmer, a farm organization leader, and an American socialist politician. He is best remembered as the 1936 candidate of the Socialist Party of America for Vice President of the United States.-Early years:...
campaign. He spoke continuously from September 13 to November 1, starting his tour in Pennsylvania before heading to the Pacific coast and back through the Southwest.
Roy Burt took over for Norman Thomas
Norman Thomas
Norman Mattoon Thomas was a leading American socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America.-Early years:...
protege Clarence O. Senior as Executive Secretary of the Socialist Party of America
Socialist Party of America
The Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization...
effective December 15, 1936.
After taking a leave of absence on March 1, 1939, during which he was replaced temporarily by Arthur G. McDowell, Burt resigned as National Executive Secretary late in that same month. He was replaced at the April 15–17, 1939 session of the National Executive Committee by Travers Clement
Travers Clement
Travers Clement was an American socialist writer, politician, and political functionary. He is best remembered as an assistant to Angelica Balabanoff in the writing of her memoirs and for his tenure as the National Executive Secretary of the Socialist Party of America beginning in April 1939.-Early...
of Los Gatos, California
Los Gatos, California
The Town of Los Gatos is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 29,413 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area at the southwest corner of San Jose in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains...
, himself a member of the NEC.
Later years, death and legacy
After leaving the post of Executive Secretary of the Socialist Party, Burt accepted the post of associate pastor of the Wesley Methodist Church in Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. He died on April 14, 1967 in Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
.
Works
- A Young People’s Course on Christianity and the Rural Life of the World. New York: Missionary Education Movement of the United States and Canada, n.d. [c. 1931].
- Adventures in Building a Better World. Chicago: The Board of Education of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 1933.
- Report to the Special Convention: Chicago, March 26–29, 1937. [Chicago]: [Socialist Party], 1937
- Socialist Handbook, 1937. (Editor) Chicago: Socialist Party, 1937.
- Community Service for Youth: A Guide to Christian Social Thinking and Action. Nashville: Methodist Publishing House, 1941.