Emeritus Professor of English Tommy Ray Burkett has died at age 90. Burkett was a beloved English Professor at Denison for 30 years. He touched the lives of countless students as a professor, advisor, and friend.
Burkett joined the Department of English in 1963. His special areas of expertise centered around 18th-century satire, Shakespeare, and the history of language. He co-authored the Generative English Handbook for teaching linguistics. Even after his retirement in 1993, he continued to lead student groups to discover London and London theater for many years. Burkett served the college as chair of the English Department for eight years, and as chair of the Academic Affairs Council. In addition, he chaired two presidential search advisory committees, which selected Denison Presidents Robert C. Good and Michele Tolela Myers as our 16th and 18th president, respectively.
Interment will be in the Denison University cemetery, and a memorial celebration will be held at the United Church of Granville on Saturday, November 20, at 1 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be sent to the Newark Homeless Outreach, United Church of Granville, 115 W. Broadway, Granville, or to any other organization working to reduce hunger.
Read Burkett’s obituary. The Denison flag will fly at half-staff for three days in his honor.