After Guy Burke’s death, his estate began funding engineering students at NC State

Guy Burke never married and had no children, but his legacy has continued to teach students at the university where he once struggled to afford his education. His connection with NC State began in 1953, when his interest in aircraft led him to study mechanical and aeronautical engineering. His path to graduation was interrupted several times after his father’s death forced him to leave college to earn money for tuition. Military service caused another break. Burke finally graduated in 1962 and spent three decades as a civilian employee of the US Navy. After his death in 2019, the estate gift he had arranged decades earlier became a scholarship supporting engineering students.Burke’s college journey took him from engineering classes to drafting workBurke grew up in Taylorsville, North Carolina, as the eldest of four siblings. His brothers remembered him as a capable student who also enjoyed baseball. In 1953, his interest in aeroplanes led him towards engineering at NC State.The early part of university life was relatively ordinary. He lived in Owen Hall, took part in ROTC, which was compulsory at the time, and worked through his engineering courses. But the subject was difficult fo...