Freestone County, Texas
Biographies 



Biography of Frank Elisha Burkhalter
   (Apr. 19, 1880-16 May 1963, buried Waco Memorial Park in Waco, TX.)

Frank Elisha Burkhalter was born at Cotton Gin, Freestone County, Texas, in 1880. 
He attended Baylor University and Columbia University, majoring in journalism. 
From 1908-1918 he engaged in newspaper work on the Fort Worth Record, San 
Antonio Express, Houston Chronicle, and Waco Morning News which he edited 1912-
1915. Burkhalter was publicity director of the Southern Baptist Convention from 
1912 to 1929, and also served as secretary of the Executive Committee of the 
Convention from 1926-1929. Returning to Waco in 1929, he became director of 
publicity and professor of journalism at Baylor. He resigned in 1945 and spent 
a year teaching at Biarritz American University in France. He returned to Waco 
in 1946 and taught briefly, retiring in 1947 to continue his charity work that he 
began in 1909 when he was one of the founders of the Waco Boys' Club.  Burkhalter 
died on 16 May 1963. Frank is buried in Waco Memorial Park in Waco, McLennan 
County, Texas.