Robert M. Burgess Papers, 1941-2001

Robert Miller Burgess was born September 4, 1906, in Mount Crawford, Virginia. He graduated from Bridgewater High School and then Bridgewater College in Virginia. Through some graduate work at the University of Virginia in romance languages, he grew to love the French language and found a career path in teaching the language at the Black Foxe Military Institute, and at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). During World War II, Burgess enlisted in the Army and was assigned to receive training in the Counter Intelligence Corps.

After the war, Burgess continued his teaching career at UCLA. In 1947, he began a twenty-five year career teaching French at the University of Montana (then called Montana State University), serving eleven years as the chairman of the department. During this time he was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Palmes Academique (Order of Academic Palms), the highest cultural accolade granted by France. Burgess spent his later years in Missoula going to prayer breakfasts with his friends from the Holy Spirit Church, hiking, skiing, playing tennis, singing with the Mendelson Club, and traveling the world. He passed away on December 2, 2000 at the age of ninety-four.