Lake County Ohio GenWeb

Perry Burgess 1886-1962

Biography written and submitted by John Meekins, a Perry Burgess researcher. Obituaries abstracted by Cynthia Turk from New York Times Monday, Sep. 17, 1962 page 31 for Dr. Burgess; Special to the New York Times June 12, 1962 page 35 and The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH) June 13, 1962 for his wife Cora. Other internet sources were used as well.

From 1925 to 1930 Perry Burgess, (1886-1962) and his wife raised a substantial sum of money for leprosy research on behalf of an organization set up by Major-General Leonard Wood. When the organization was renamed the Leonard Wood Memorial and incorporated (following Wood's death in 1927), Perry Burgess became its first president. He retained this post until his retirement in 1958. In 1931 he played an important role in the organization of the Manila Leprosy Conference where the International Leprosy Association was born and plans were laid for the publication of the International Journal of Leprosy with financial support from the Memorial. In 1940 he received the National Book Award for his first book Who Walk Alone, and a gold medal from the Society of Libraries of New York University. In 1956 he received the Damien-Dutton Award. Other honors received were Knight-Commander of the Hospital Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem and Hon. Knight Commander of the Spanish Civilian Order. Perry Burgess died September 17, 1962 in Unionville, Ohio.

Obituary Abstract for Perry Burgess

Perry Burgess was born in Missouri in 1886. He graduated from Baker University in 1912. In 1937 he married Cora Louise Turney, of the family of Asa Turney, the Revolutionary War soldier and Madison, Ohio pioneer. She was previously married to Hoyt Willoughby Gale, Jr. in 1928 and had lived in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Perry and Cora Louise lived in Erie Vista in Geneva on the Lake, Ashtabula County, Ohio and in New York. In addition to Who Walk Alone, Burgess wrote World Within a World and Born of Those Years, the latter being an autobiography. His wife, Cora died 10 June 1962 at the Cleveland Clinic, survived by son Perry and daughter Coralyn. Perry Burgess died in September that same year at a rest home in Unionville, Ohio. His son Perry and four daughters, Mrs. Esther Poppell, Mrs. Elizabeth Poppell, Mrs. Cora Lou (Laurence) Willey and Mrs. Coralyn (Robert) Lynn survived him. Dr. Burgess and his wife Cora Louise are buried in Middle Ridge Cemetery in Madison, Lake County, Ohio.

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Last updated 4 Nov 2007