A Guide to the Richard Fenner Burges Papers, 1897-1940

Biographical Note

Lawyer, soldier, politician, and conservationist Richard Fenner Burges (1873-1945), the son of Bettie Rust and William H. Burges, was born in Seguin, Texas. He attended Texas A&M University for one year and was admitted to the bar in 1894 after reading law in the offices of his father in El Paso and J. D. Guinn in New Braunfels. In 1898, he married Ethel Petrie Shelton, with whom he had a daughter. Burges served as El Paso city attorney and wrote the charter for the establishment of commission city government in El Paso (1907). A year later, he represented Texas at President Theodore Roosevelt's conference of governors and served as a member of the Texas House in the Thirty-third and Thirty-fourth legislatures (1913–15). In 1917, Burges commanded a battalion in the battle of the Argonne and was awarded the Croix de Guerre for distinguished service. Later, Burges was special counsel for the Texas-Rio Grande Compact Commission and from 1935 to 1940 was a special attorney for the United States Department of Justice.

A leader in water conservation in both Texas ad New Mexico, Burges was associate counsel in the Chamizal dispute with Mexico (1910-1911), president of the International Irrigation Congress (1915-1916), counsel for the El Paso County Water Improvement District, and attorney for Texas in negotiations with New Mexico over the division of Pecos River waters. Burges was also president of the Texas Forestry Association (1921-1923), belonged to the American Forestry Association, was a board member of the El Paso Public Library, the Texas State Historical Association, and the Texas History and Library Commission.

Source: “Burges, Richard Fenner.” Handbook of Texas Online. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. Accessed October 10, 2011. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fbu28.

Scope and Contents

Correspondence, financial papers, printed materials, maps, and photographs comprise the Richard Burges Papers, 1897-1940, documenting Burges’ career as a lawyer, soldier, politician, and conservationist. The collection consists primarily of correspondence, the bulk of which was carried on with business and political acquaintances. Business correspondence shed light on Burges’ political and military activities, as Burges maintained contact with many former soldiers and helped in their readjustment to civilian life after the First World War, and reflects both business and legal transactions. Correspondence related to familial matters chronicle Burges’ relationship with aunts, cousins, and his daughter, Jane. Project correspondence contains information related to the Banco elimination project of the Rio Grande River and the Carlsbad Caverns highway project. Financial material concern stocks and campaign contributions. Maps and photographs provide information about military activities and water conservation.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Richard Fenner Burges Papers, 1897-1940, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.

Processing Information

Processed by Julia M. Payne, July 1982. Subsequent revisions made by Evan Usler, October 2011.

Detailed Description of the Papers