Open hearts, open doors: Mike Burton’s legacy
On May 6, 1944, Michael “Mike” Joe Burton was born to Joe and Burnita Burton in Villa Rica, Georgia. He has five siblings, two of whom died in infancy.
As a World War II baby, Mike developed a deep love for history. Despite being encouraged to become a lawyer, he followed his passion for art (much to his father’s disappointment, although Mike’s brother Cleve did become a lawyer.)
After moving to Rome, Mike participated in the Boy Scouts. He fondly remembered attending the 1957 National Scout Jamboree in Pennsylvania and marching with 50,000 uniformed Boy Scouts from the Magnolia Tribute Garden to Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia.
In 1961, Mike participated in a regional volleyball match, with his Coosa High School competing against the Georgia School for the Deaf. This match marked Mike’s first encounter with deaf people.
Mike met Carolyn Looney at CHS, and they became sweethearts. Mike graduated from CHS in 1962 and attended Southern Methodist University in Texas. After Carolyn graduated they were married in Rome on Jan. 15, 1965, with Carolyn moving to Texas. Mike graduated from SMU the following year. Together, they have three daughters.
Mike taught art at various Floyd County schools for several years before Principal Jim Whitworth hired him in 1970 to teach art at GSD. During that time, GSD had over 600 students.
Mike learned American Sign Language from his students and deaf teachers, especially from Denver White, a senior student who told a World War II story in vivid ASL. Mike earned a name sign: a handshape M followed by a B on his cheek.
In 1972, Mike obtained his master’s degree in deaf education from Georgia State University. He and Carolyn purchased a 200-acre property in Booger Hollow in 1977, which included a pre-civil War house in Cave Spring. The property became a popular gathering place for deaf students and friends who visited the Burtons.
Mike volunteered as an interpreter at GSD, including interpreting for students during Monday chapel services. He also corrected mistakes made by other interpreters, notably during the 2005 court case Georgia Department of Education v. Niemeier (where Cleve represented Niemeier, a GSD teacher).
Mike frequently led field trips, believing students learned best through visual and hands-on experiences. These trips included a 1982 marine biology excursion to Ossabaw Island and a 1983 European history exploration with his GSD Enrichment Group. He established the “High School Enrichment Program” in 1982.
Until 1983, Mike served as the director of the GSD dormitory. He left GSD and took charge of the deaf education program at Floyd College (now Georgia Highlands College) in 1985. I fondly recall Mike’s Deaf History class, where we enjoyed discussing deaf topics with him.
In 1988, Mike bid $500 on a two-story Victorian-style house during an auction in Rome and chainsawed it in half. Carolyn helped move the pieces to their Booger Hollow property and spent years renovating the house.
From 1988 to 1992, Mike collaborated with Georgia Tech to develop the first interactive dictionary for the deaf. He founded Burton Vision Inc., creating videos featuring deaf ASL storytellers. These videos were licensed to many deaf
schools. In 1992, he represented the US at the NATO conference on technology for the deaf in Amsterdam.
Carolyn died of cancer on June 14, 1994, after 34 years together. Heartbroken, Mike retired from teaching the following year and later met Julie Hatfield, an ASL teacher at GSD and a graduate of the Alabama School for the Deaf. They married on Aug. 17, 1999, officiated by Jim Whitworth. They have two sons, and recently celebrated their 25th anniversary while continuing to host activities at their Booger Hollow house and barn.
In 2010, Mike helped write a federal grant for GSD and was awarded $3 million to lead the Extended Learning Weekend for GSD students. He hired 20 GSD alumni to mentor their fellow students.
Mike later became president of the Cave Spring Historical Society and spearheaded the Vann Cherokee Cabin preservation project. He invited his deaf friends, myself included, to assist in dismantling the old hotel.
In 2022, Mike and Julie stopped by to visit the monument erected in honor of the Deaf Priors. Mike also attended the celebration of GSD’S 175th anniversary later that fall.
Mike turned 80 on May 6 and celebrated his birthday at his Anamchara Gallery, where he showcased many of his bronze sculptures and other artwork. Family and friends attended the celebration, including Keri Whitworth (Jim’s daughter) and her husband Lee Shiver (a former GSD superintendent).
Warmest wishes on your 80th, Mike!
Adonia K. Smith is a Cedartown native who resides in Cave Spring. She owns ASL Rose, a company that serves the heart of Deaf education, and is active in the Georgia School for the Deaf Alumni Association. Email her at adoniakarrensmith@gmail.
com.