Albert S. Burrows

A member of one of the territorial families of Washington, Albert S. Burrows has spent the greater part of his life in King County, and has materially furthered its educational progress as superintendent of its public schools. He was born in Des Moines, Iowa, September 29, 1871, a son of Albert and Martha (Jarnes) Burrows, who arrived in Seattle on the 5th of September, 1882. In 1883 the father filed on a homestead on the eastern side of Lake Washington, and through perseverance, industry and good management he converted the wild tract into a productive farm. He was a prosperous agriculturist and also won success in the milling business. In 1894 he was called to public office, becoming a member of the state legislature, and served for one term. He was a man of prominence in his district and Burrows Landing, now a county dock, was named in his honor. He passed away in 1896 and had long survived his wife, whose demise occurred in 1876.

Albert S. Burrows obtained his early education in his native state and when a boy of eleven came with his parents to the Puget Sound country. In 1897 he completed a course in the University of Washington and was a member of the first class graduated from the new institution of learning. For a time he taught in rural schools and later was an instructor in the city schools of Seattle. In 1905 he was made deputy county superintendent of schools, acting in that capacity until 1909, and has since at the head of the public school system of King County. When he started as a county superintendent, the county, outside of Seattle had only two hundred teachers, and it now has more than seven hundred. Keeping in close touch with the most advanced thought of the day along educational lines, Mr. Burrows has played a most important part in the work of planning, developing, and perfecting the public schools of the county and state and is responsible for their excellence and high rating. His keen intelligence and broad experience have enabled him to readily solve the difficult problems constantly arising in his work and to secure the harmonious collaboration of the teachers of the county, thus insuring the pupils a higher degree of proficiency in their studies.

In 1897 Mr. Burrows married Miss Elizabeth Warrren, of Bellevue, Washington, and they have become the parents of six children: Albert W., who was graduated from the Washington State College and is principal of the high school at Snoqualmie, Eleanor W., who is the wife of Peter Odegard, of Williamstown, Massachusetts; Robert S., a resident of Port Townsend, Washington; and Robert G., Donald C. and Margaret Elizabeth, all at home.

Mr. Burrows has a fine suburban home and garden and his office is in the Dexter Horton building in Seattle. He is one of the enterprising members of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. He casts his ballot for the candidates of the republican party and is deeply interested in movements of reform, progress and improvement. He is an ex-president of the Washington Education Association and for eight years was chairman of its legislative committee, taking a foremost part in promoting plans for the reorganizing and modernizing of Washington schools. He served as secretary of the School Code Commission of 1920-21, was instrumental in drawing up the Showalter reorganization bill of the 1928 session of the legislature, and is an expert in school finance and administration. His talents, natural and acquired, have brought him to the fore in his profession and his life work has been one of broad usefulness.