William Burke; Led American Legions

William R. Burke, former national commander of the American Legion and a veteran legislative lobbyist who promoted the interests of Catholic and other religious schools, has died. He was 84.

Burke died May 6 in his Palos Verdes Estates home.

Firmly opposed to communism, Burke addressed various federal officials and the state Legislature during his tenure as national American Legion commander in 1960-61. He repeatedly advocated overthrow of Fidel Castro’s regime in Cuba, even at the risk of war, and was equally outspoken about combating communism in Southeast Asia.

“In the last analysis,” he said at a Los Angeles news conference in 1961, “there is no good place to fight. But Laos is better than Los Angeles and Havana is better than Houston.”

During World War II, Burke was a Navy officer aboard the destroyer Pillsbury. After suffering a concussion, he taught naval law at Princeton and Notre Dame universities.

Burke joined the Los Angeles’ area’s American Legion Post 8, second-oldest in California, and in 1950 was chosen post commander.

In 1953, he won election as American Legion department commander for California. Seven years later, he won the national election to become the influential national commander.

Burke’s remunerative career, which paralleled his work in the American Legion, began in 1945 when he established his William R. Burke Public Relations Inc. with offices in Washington, Sacramento and Los Angeles.

His lobbyist efforts helped bring about tax exemptions for religious school properties throughout California, and he later advocated public funding for religious schools.

Burke also worked successfully for repeal of the Oriental Exclusion Act, which enabled Asian-born legal residents to become U.S. citizens. Among his firm’s clients were several hospitals and homes for the aged as well as private schools.

Fresh out of UCLA with a history degree in 1939, he joined Baptist minister George Hill and Gilbert Harrison, who later became editor of the New Republic, to visit high schools, universities and state legislatures in a project sponsored by the National Conference of Christians and Jews and the Religious Conference at UCLA. Introducing themselves as “a Catholic, a Protestant and a Jew,” the three young men worked to promote interfaith harmony in the country.

Burke is survived by his wife of 58 years, Jeane, and four of their five children: Brandon, Sharon, Susan and Thomas.

Services are planned for 3 p.m. Monday at St. Lawrence Martyr Church in Redondo Beach, with interment Tuesday at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City.

Memorial donations may be sent to the Child Welfare Foundation of the American Legion, P.O. Box 1955, Indianapolis, IN 46206, or to the Maryvale Children’s Home, P.O. Box 1039, Rosemead, CA 91770.