EXAMPLE PAGE - SCHOOL BROCHURE - DEMOCRACY - Flipbook - Page 24
IN MEMORIAM
Morgan Burke
Visionary leader in intercollegiate
athletics left indelible mark
DID YOU KNOW?
The diving well in the
Morgan J. Burke Aquatic
Center holds 500,000
gallons of water and doubles as a six-lane, 25-yard
short course. A bubbling
device at the bottom
of the well softens the
divers’ landings.
Morgan J. Burke (m’73), who served as vice president and
director of intercollegiate athletics from 1993 to 2016, died
June 15 at his home in West Lafayette after a yearlong battle
with amyloidosis. He was 68.
Since retiring as athletics director, Burke was a university
vice president for special projects, most notably working on
the launch and development of Purdue University Global.
“Morgan left an indelible mark on Purdue Athletics, and
thousands of student-athletes benefited from his faithful
leadership,” Purdue University President Mitch Daniels
says. “He was the ultimate competitor, and his passion for
the Boilermakers was second to none. He continued to
serve the University the last four years, doing everything
he could to strengthen our mission.”
Burke’s tenure as athletics director ranks as the longest in
school history and upon his retirement was the fourth-longest tenure at Football Bowl Subdivision institutions. He
made his name as one of the visionary leaders in intercollegiate athletics.
He worked vigorously to create an environment that fostered both academic and athletic success among Purdue’s
// SPORTS //
More Than A Game
Mike Bobinksi wrote,
“Like many of you, we are
incredibly disappointed
at this development,
but we understand and
respect that the decision was made based on
medical guidance and our
shared commitment to
best protect the health
and well-being of our
student-athletes, staff,
and community.”
The Big Ten Conference pledged to continue
to evaluate its options
22 PUR D U E A LUMNUS
regarding the affected
sports — men’s and women’s cross country, field
hockey, football, men’s
and women’s soccer, and
women’s volleyball —
including the possibility
of competition in the
spring.
“At this time, we can’t be
sure what football competition might look like in
either the spring or fall of
2021,” Bobinski wrote. “For
now, it’s imperative that
we continue to invest in
student-athletes. No one wanted to see the Boilermakers succeed more than Burke did, and few expended more energy
cheering them on to victory and graduation.
Under his tenure, two Purdue teams won NCAA championships — women’s basketball in 1999 and women’s golf in
2010 — and eight student-athletes captured a combined 14
individual national crowns. Similar excellence was expected
in the classroom. The cumulative grade-point average for
all Purdue student-athletes was above 3.0 for 15 consecutive
semesters when Burke retired.
Burke was captain of the swimming team his senior year,
and the Boilermaker Aquatic Center was renamed in his
—PURDUE NEWS
honor in May 2017.
and support the academic,
mental, and physical
well-being of our 500+
student-athletes to ensure
they have the resources
to perform their very best
both in the classroom and
in competition when that
time comes.”
The More Than A Game
campaign, launched by
the John Purdue Club in
August, will help Purdue
Athletics navigate the
financial ramifications of
the COVID-19 pandemic —
a potential shortfall that
could exceed $50 million.
Purdue Athletics is
one of only a handful
of Division I athletics
departments that is
entirely self-sustaining:
it does not receive any
taxpayer dollars, funding
from the University, or
student fees.
“We’ve been doing
everything we can to be
fiscally responsible in the
face of this crisis, but now
we need your help to keep
it all going,” Bobinski says.
All of the hard work we’ve
put in to get to this point is
now in jeopardy. The More
Than A Game campaign
is critical to the future of
Purdue Athletics.”
For more information
and to donate, visit
jpcmorethanagame.com.
F RO M L IE FT: PU R DU E AT HL ET ICS; TO M CA M P B E L L
On August 11, six days
after the Big Ten Conference released revised
football schedules for
the fall, the conference
announced the postponement of the 2020–21 fall
sports season, including
all regular-season contests
and Big Ten championships and tournaments,
due to ongoing health and
safety concerns related to
the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a message to ticket
holders, athletics director
MORGAN BURKE (M’73) served as vice president and director of
intercollegiate athletics from 1993 to 2016.
