Robert J. (Robert Jones) Burdette

Born in Greensboro, Pennsylvania, in 1844, Robert Jones Burdette served as a private in the 47th Illinois Infantry during the Civil War before beginning a career in journalism. He became widely known for his humorous paragraphs in the Burlington Hawkeye, which were reprinted in newspapers across the country. Later, he worked as a staff humorist for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle and toured extensively as a lecturer.

Burdette was also an author, writing comic sketches, poetry, biography, and reflective works such as A Little Philosophy of Life. In 1897 he became a licensed Baptist minister, later serving at Temple Baptist Church in Los Angeles. He died in Pasadena, California, on November 19, 1914.