Burney, Jr., John Jay
Class of 1943After graduating from New Hanover High School in 1943, Burney he served as a Staff Sergeant in the 254th Infantry, Company A 63rd Division of the US Army. After receiving his honorable discharge, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Wake Forest College and from Wake Forest College Law School in 1951. He was a charter member of the N. C. Academy of Trial Lawyers. He served as Solicitor now called District Attorney for the Eighth Solicitoral District of North Carolina from 1954 to 1963. He was elected to the North Carolina Senate in 1967. During his three terms of service in the NC State Legislature, Burney was deeply involved with environmental and educational issues, taxation, property insurance for coastal home owners, and amendments to the state law dealing with the sale of alcoholic beverages. He also played an active role in preventing a restructuring of the North Carolina high education systems. He was instrumental in Wilmington College becoming a part of the University of North Carolina System. He resumed private law practice in 1972 serving as a trustee of the UNC-Wilmington from 1981-1989. The University honored him by naming the student center, the Burney Student Support Center. He was involved in numerous civic and social organizations involved with the enrichment and enhancement of New Hanover County and Southeastern NC. He was one of the founding fathers of Cape Fear Academy. Mr. Burney was 32nd degree mason, member of the Sudan Temple Shrine, B.P.O. Elks, Sons of the American Revolution and Sone of the Confederate Veterans. He was inducted into the NC Bar Association’s General Practice Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2002 the NC Board of Transportation named a portion of the US 17 Bypass the “John Jay Burney, Jr. Freeway”
Accolades: NC Senator, NC Bar Association's General Practice Hall of Fame, trustee of UNC- Wilmington