Alumnus Gives $800,000 to Support International Programs in Fulbright College

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Cleveland Burton

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Cleveland Burton graduated from the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences in 1941. Although he passed away in February, his commitment to the University of Arkansas will live on through gifts totaling $800,000 to benefit the college.

The gifts were made in the form of a $300,000 gift annuity and a $500,000 bequest, which will support the Cleveland C. Burton Professorship in International Programs as well as Cleveland C. Burton Undergraduate Fellowships in International Studies.

After graduating from the University of Arkansas, Burton attended Harvard Law School. During this time, he joined the U.S. Army where he served as a first lieutenant in World War II for four years. After returning and completing law school, he settled in Shreveport, La., where he met and married Edith Rigsby, who passed away before him. The two were married more than 50 years. Burton spent 25 years as an attorney with the firm of Lunn, Irion, Switzer, Johnson and Salley. He moved to Texarkana, Texas, in 2007 to live with his cousin, Julia Peck Mobley.

“My cousin Cleve Burton was one of the most knowledgeable and interesting people I have had the pleasure of knowing,” said Mobley. “His strive for knowledge was a constant; truly a unique person.”

Mobley, also a University of Arkansas graduate, is chairman and chief executive officer of Commercial Bank of Texarkana.

In addition to the recent gifts from Burton’s estate, he also donated to Fulbright College a 19-piece collection of porcelain birds by the renowned artist Edward Marshall Boehm. The collection is displayed on campus in Old Main in the Fulbright College dean’s office.

“Mr. Burton’s impact on Fulbright College and those of us who came to know him is profound,” said Patti Cox, associate director of development for the college. “His philanthropy will open new vistas of learning for faculty and students, taking an existing program to a higher level of excellence. He will be remembered for his intellect, his commitment to life-long learning and his generous spirit.”

Burton was active in the Shreveport and Texarkana communities and he was a member of many organizations including the Petroleum Club of Shreveport and the Civic Opera Association.