Robert Jones Burdette (July 30, 1844 – November 19, 1914) was an American humorist and clergyman who became noted through his paragraphs in ''

The Hawk Eye ''The Hawk Eye'' is a general-circulation newspaper based in Burlington, Iowa, United States, and boasts itself as "''Iowa's Oldest Newspaper''." History The newspaper traces its roots to the ''Wisconsin Territorial Gazette and Burlington Adver ...

'' newspaper in Burlington, Iowa. Mary G. Burdette was his sister.

Early life

He was born in

Greensboro, Pennsylvania Greensboro is a borough in Greene County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 267 at the 2020 census, up from 260 at the 2010 census. Geography Greensboro is located in southeastern Greene County at (39.792911, -79.912087). It is ...

, and received a secondary education in Peoria, Illinois. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

he served as a private in the 47th Illinois infantry. In 1869 he became night editor of the '' Peoria Daily Transcript'' and afterward was associated with other newspapers. He joined the staff of the '' Burlington Hawkeye'' in 1872, and his humorous paragraphs soon began to be quoted in newspapers throughout the country. With the encouragement of his first wife, the former Caroline S. Garret of Peoria, he began speaking in public. Consequently, he made a number of successful lecture tours. His lecture, "The Rise and Fall of the Mustache," was delivered well over three thousand times during a 30-year period. He also wrote the poem "Orphan Born," as well as "My First Cigar." He was sometimes referred to as the Burlington Hawkeye Man. In 1884, he left the ''Hawkeye'' to replace Stanley Huntley as the staff humorist for the ''

Brooklyn Daily Eagle :''This article covers both the historical newspaper (1841–1955, 1960–1963), as well as an unrelated new Brooklyn Daily Eagle starting 1996 published currently'' The ''Brooklyn Eagle'' (originally joint name ''The Brooklyn Eagle'' and ''King ...

''.

Ministerial career

He became a licensed minister of the Baptist church in 1897 and took charge of the Temple Baptist Church, Los Angeles, California, in 1903, becoming its pastor emeritus in 1909. His first wife died after 16 years of marriage, and in 1899 he married Clara (Bradley) Baker (1855-1954), a Pasadena widow active in the Temple Baptist Church and various civic organizations. She was a founder of Alpha Phi Fraternity, author of several books, and a philanthropist. During his final years, the couple lived in Pasadena, in a home on Orange Grove Boulevard, where he died in 1914.

Legacy

Robert Jones Burdette's writings were the source of humorous lectures by John Austen Hamlin on Hamlin's tours to promote his Wizard Oil

patent medicine A patent medicine, sometimes called a proprietary medicine, is an over-the-counter (nonprescription) medicine or medicinal preparation that is typically protected and advertised by a trademark and trade name (and sometimes a patent) and claimed ...

. A collection of Burdette's writings, edited by Clara, was published in 1922 under the title ''Robert J. Burdette: His Message''. The Robert J. Burdette Indoor Classic is an annual Indoor Track and Field competition contested at

Lehigh University Lehigh University (LU) is a private research university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer and was originally affiliated with the Epi ...

every year in late December. The meet showcases high school athletes from the eastern Pennsylvania area.

Partial list of books

*''The Rise and Fall of the Mustache and other Hawkeyetems'' (1877) *''Hawkeyes'' (1880) *''Life of William Penn'' (1882) *''Innach Gerden and Other Comic Sketches'' (1886) *''Chimes from a Jester's Bells'' (1897) *''Old Time and Young Tom'' (1912) *''Gems of Modern Wit and Humor'' with stories and introduction by Robert J Burdette (1903) *''American Biography & Genealogy'', Volume I, Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co. (1910) *''As Thy Day'', Saalfield Publishing Co., Akron Ohio (date unknown) credited as Robert J. Burdette, D.D. and others

References

External links

– humorous poem by Burdette.

Podcast (now indexed), including the entire ninety-two-minute lon
Rise and Fall of the Mustache lecture from 1877
* *
Robert J. Burdette letters, MSS SC 701
at L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library,

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...