RIAMCO

Rhode Island Archival and Manuscript Collections Online

For Participating Institutions

Dr. Frederick (Fred) Burke Commissioner of Education speeches (2005-27)

Rhode Island State Archives

Rhode Island State Archives
337 Westminster Street
Providence, RI 02903
Tel: 401-222-2353
Fax: 401-222-3199
email: statearchives@sos.ri.gov

Biographical note

Dr. Fred G. Burke served as the Commissioner of Education in Rhode Island from 1971-1974. Burke was responsible for the eventual state funding of education from the newly instituted income tax (1972) and instituting a statewide salary scale for teachers. In 1974 he was appointed Commissioner of Education in New Jersey by then Governor Brendan Byrne and served until 1982. He became dean of the graduate school at the University of Connecticut and in 1992 became a senior fellow at the Phelps Stokes Fund. Before coming to Rhode Island, Dr. Burke taught political science at Ohio Wesleyan University, Syracuse University and SUNY Buffalo. During that time he traveled to Africa, wrote books on African affairs, was a consultant to the UN Economic Commission for Africa and directed training of Peace Corp volunteers in East Africa.