Walter James Burke, Iberia Parish, Louisiana Submitted by Frances Ball Turner ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** History of Louisiana by Chambers Vol. II, pg. 78 Hon. Walter James Burke. Senior member of the law firm of Burke & Smith, and engaged in practice at New Iberia since 1889, Hon. Walter James Burke has been before the public on numerous occasions as the incumbent of high offices, in all of which he has worked faithfully for the best interests of his state. He is a native son of this locality, and was born at New Iberia, Iberia Parish, October 20, 1866 his parents being James Lee and Pamela (Cannon) Burke. Mr. Burke is, on his paternal side, of Irish lineage, and on his maternal side, of English and French. His paternal grandparents, William Burke and Ellen Lee, immigrated to the United States in the first quarter of the nineteenth century, and, after residing a short time in New Jersey, where James Lee Burke was born, they settled, together with a colonization party, in Texas, then belonging to Mexico. After a short time in their new home, the little community of which they formed a part was attacked by hostile Indians, and many of the colonists massacred. William Burke and his wife escaped this fate and, after some peregrination, finally, in 1836, located in what is now New Iberia, being among the first English speaking people to locate in what is New Iberia Parish. In 1839, William Burke died of yellow fever. His wife and three sons continued to reside in New Iberia up to the time of their deaths. Practically from that time to the present time the Burke family has been identified with the activities of this section of Louisiana. Their name is specially linked with the foundation of the Public School System of this Parish. On his maternal side, Mr. Burke is a descendant of the pre-revolutionary stock. His grandfather, William Porteus Cannon, was born in Natchitoches, the son of William Cannon and Adeline Laysard, in 1814. Adeline Laysard was the daughter of Etienne Laysard, who was commandant of the district of Rapides (sic) in 1792, and for some years thereafter. William Cannon was the son of one of the pioneer settlers of Tennessee and came to Louisiana some few years after the Louisiana Purchase, and married Adeline Laysard, and upon her death, returned to Tennessee where he continued to reside and where his son, William Porteus Cannon was reared. After reaching his majority, William Porteus Cannon returned to Louisiana and married, in Natchitoches, Adeline Rachel. Of this union was born Pamela Cannon, the mother of the subject of this sketch. Mr. Burke attended private schools at New Iberia and Springhill College, Mobile, Alabama. He later enrolled as a student of the law department of Tulane University, where he was graduated with his degree as a member of the class of 1889. In that year he commenced the practice of his profession at New Iberia, where he has remained ever since. At the present time he is senior member of the firm of Burke & Smith, which combination has been identified with many of the important cases which have come before the courts during recent years. Politically a democrat, Mr. Burke has been one of the strong and active men of his party of many years. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1898, 1913 and 1921, is one of four men who served the state in three conventions, the others being Thos. J. Semmes, Milton H. Carver and Robt. D. Todd. Mr. Burke was a member of the State Senate during Governor Luther E. Hall's administration, from 1912 to 1916, representing the parishes of Iberia, St. Martin and Lafayette. He was head of the commission appointed to draft the Employees Liability Act and a member of the Tax Commission which was organized under the administration of the purpose of which was to devise an acceptable system of taxation. He served as a member of the State Board of education during the administration of Governors Newton C. Blanchard and J. Y. Sanders, resigning after seven years of service. On February 4, 1890, at New Iberia, Senator Burke was united in marriage with Miss Bertha Perry, a daughter of Robert S. and Blanche (Gary) Perry, both of whom are deceased, Judge Perry having been a well-known lawyer and at one time a member of the Court of Appeals Bench. Mrs. Burke was graduated from the Dominican Convent at New Orleans. She and her husband have had ten children.