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.
This collection contains Robert M. Burgess' personal writings and memoirs, military diaries and documentation, and letters to family during World War II. These materials document his life from growing up in Virginia, his college years, his military service, and his later years as a French professor at the University of Montana in Missoula. The collection is divided into two series: Personal and World War II.
Series I: Personal, 1946–2001, 0.2 linear feet
Series II: World War II, 1941–1953, 0.2 linear feet
Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Copyright not transferred to the University of Montana.
Robert M. Burgess Papers, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.
After Burgess' death, this collection was held by Dianna Reber Riley, a friend.
This collection was given to Bonnie Bowler by Dianne Riley for placement at the University of Montana Archives.
This collection arrived at the Archives as loose materials in a valise. Materials were foldered, with folder titles assigned by the processor. A 1946 copy of Myths and Their Meaning by Max Herzberg, and the valise in which the collection arrived, were deaccessioned from the collection.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.
This series contains writings by and about Burgess, and a piece of green camoflage silk thought to be from a parachute. Notes not by Burgess are probably by Dianna Riley, who, prior to her death, intended to write a story based on Burgess' life and documents she planned to call "Robert's Valice."
This series has been arranged chronologically
This series contains documents related to Burgess' military service during World War Two.
This series has been arranged chronologically