Southeast Missouri State names Burns a Friend of the University

Linda Lattin Burns, professor emerita of English at Southeast Missouri State University, where she taught 33 years until her 2001 retirement, has been named 2022 Friend of the University — the highest honor bestowed by the school's foundation and first awarded in 1983.

Southeast's Friend award "recognizes those who support and are closely associated with the mission, purposes, plans and programs of [SEMO]," according to a news release.

Burns, who will receive the award Friday at the Show Me Center during the annual President's Council Dinner, becomes SEMO's first-ever tenured faculty member to be so honored, according to Southeast president Carlos Vargas.

"For more than three decades, Dr. Burns shaped the lives of Southeast students. Her years of dedication in the classroom modeled generations of successful alumni. After her retirement she has continued to support the University, providing scholarship opportunities that allow our students to achieve their academic goals. We are extremely indebted to Linda for her unwavering support of the Foundation, KRCU and Southeast Symphony," Vargas said.

A Kansas native, Burns and her late husband, Robert, himself a former faculty member in SEMO's English department, were especially noted for their charitable efforts on behalf of Southeast, according to officials.

There are four philanthropic awards are tied to the couple: Dr. Robert and Dr. Linda Burns Scholarship, Linda L. Burns Endowed Scholarship in English education, Robert A. Burns Endowed Scholarship in Theatre and Dr. Linda Burns Department of English Endowed Fund.

A total of 42 students have been recipients of the Burns' scholarships since their inception — cumulatively totaling nearly $45,000 in awards.

Burns used "wonderful" to describe her Southeast teaching career, which began as a lecturer in 1968.

"I had very supportive administrators, very congenial and supportive colleagues and more than 5,000 wonderful, challenging and sometimes exasperating students, many of whom were first generation college students, as I had been," noted Burns in accepting the honor.

History

Previous winners of the Friend of the University award in the 21st century:

2021: Dwain and Susan Hahs

2020: Donald and Gloria LaFerla

2019: James W. Riley Jr.

2018: C.R. "Tim" Talbert Jr. and Bettie McHaney Talbert

2017: Lewis and Carolyn Ford Bock

2016: Charles Stamp Jr.

2015: Stan and Debbie Crader; Ken and Jeanine Dobbins

2014: Harry and Fran Rediger

2013: Ludeane and Leonard Ruzicka

2012: Lawrence and Donna Marler

2011: Harryette Campbell

2010: Douglas and Heather Greene

2009: David M. Barton and Mrs. June Barton; Bob and Marcy Shuck

2008: (not awarded)

2007: Donald L. Dickerson

2006: Kohlfeld Family

2005: Harry J. Crisp II

2004: Gary and Wendy Rust

2003: Donald C. Bedell

2002: George Schriever

2001: (not awarded)

2000: Earl and Margie Holland