John J. Burns

John J. Burns (May 23, 1894 – March 1, 1984) was an American politician who resided in Burlington, Vermont. A Democrat, he was most notable for his service as Burlington's mayor from 1939 to 1948.

Early life John James Burns was born in Sligo, Ireland, on May 23, 1894, a son of John Burns and Mary (Dolan) Burns. His family moved to the United States when Burns was two years old, and settled in Burlington, Vermont when he was seven. Burns was a student at Norwich University in 1916 and 1917. Invited to tryout for the Braves, Burns declined in order to join the military.

Military service Burns left college to join the United States Army for World War I. He then attended aviation ground training at Cornell University, followed by flight training at Kelly Field and Barron Field in Texas.

After completing flight school, Burns was commissioned as a second lieutenant, and was assigned as a flight instructor at bases in Oklahoma and Texas, including Henry Post Army Airfield. In addition to training new pilots, Burns was captain of the "First Flying Baseball Team", an Army program that attracted recruits by flying into communities throughout the Southwestern United States for games against local teams. When his stadium was destroyed in a fire, they believed it to be arson resulting from his stance on race relations.