Advancement: Joseph Burr Society
                      
Burr and Burton owes its establishment to what is today called a matching gift. Joseph Burr, a wealthy merchant who died in 1828, left a $10,000 bequest for a secondary school in Manchester. There was one condition - that his bequest be matched dollar for dollar by public subscription within five years.

The first Board of Trustees worked tirelessly to raise the money, traveling from community to community in search of the necessary funds. The school officially opened on May 15, 1833. Since then, the school has flourished under the watchful eyes of a self-perpetuating Board of Trustees and eminent headmasters. The old buildings have been refurbished and new ones built; the community of scholars has grown and changed; the course work now includes DNA cloning as well as Shakespeare's plays . . . a tradition of educational excellence all started with a bequest made by Joseph Burr.

Today, the Joseph Burr Society recognizes alumni and friends of the school who have either funded or planned a deferred gift, such as a bequest or a life income plan. As you think about your own financial planning, please remember what so many loyal alumni, parents and friends, like Mr. Burr, have done for Burr and Burton.

If you would like more information on the Joseph Burr Society or planned gifts, please call or write the Office of Institutional Advancement, Burr and Burton Academy, Seminary Avenue, Manchester, Vermont  05254, (802) 362-1775.

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