Burke Honored

Howard College in Big Springs, Texas is giving special recognition to Douglas and Beatrice Burke. The board has approved renaming several buildings in their honor that are located on the SouthWest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf. The school says Douglas Burke was the first deaf person to lead an institution of higher education in the nation. He passed away in 1988 after helping to establish the community college in east Texas. His wife, Beatrice Burke, also has played a critical role in the school, serving as a past chair and member of the institution's advisory committee and as a member of the Texas School for the Deaf Governing Board.