Dr Mildred L. Burns (nee Wolfe)

Dr. Mildred Louise Burns (nee Wolfe) died peacefully in her sleep in the early hours of Friday, April 17, 2020. She is survived by her daughter Jeri (Dr. Clifford Ohmart), her grandson Joel, her son Dr. Larry Jones (Jolane), her sister Ina (Charles Westbrook), and brother Charles (Patricia). Predeceased are Dean Jones and Ray Burns, her brother John, and her sister Marjorie (Chris Hansen).

Mildred Louise Wolfe was born in Riverton, a small town in southern Iowa, in 1921. According to her mother, she was destined to be the sixth-generation female teacher in her family. Mildred completed an undergraduate degree at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1942.

Mildred became a teacher at Peter Lassen Junior High School in Sacramento, California. After twelve years, she was granted a sabbatical leave and undertook a doctoral program at Stanford University, and was awarded the PhD in 1968. That year she was offered a position as Assistant Professor at McGill University in Montreal to teach school administrative studies such as Planning, Finance, and Supervision of Instruction. Along the way, she became a Canadian citizen.

In her 25 years as a professor of educational administration at McGill University, Dr. Mildred Burns worked tirelessly to inspire students, men as well as women, to see beyond self-imposed limits and to promote women's full participation in senior educational roles. An inspired leader and mentor, Dr. Burns was widely appreciated as a connector of people with professional as well as personal opportunities. Mildred worked with hundreds of students, some local and some from very distant countries. In 1995, she wrote a textbook on educational planning entitled, “Values Based Planning for Quality Education.” Always an innovator, Mildred was a pioneer in computer technology using an early prototype for information data analysis. She was the major supervisor for twenty-five Master’s and PhD thesis programs. Many of these students remained good friends and became her 'Canadian family.'

Among her many accomplishments, Dr. Burns helped win the right for staff and professionals at McGill to work beyond the age of 65.

Upon her retirement at the age of 75, Mildred whiled away her time with friends and with writing a family memoir, The Wolfe Pack, and later a fictional account of an immigrant family looking for a better life in Redstone Manor: High Hopes. Both books were written after she was diagnosed with macular degeneration and was clinically blind.

In 2007, the Governor General Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case was awarded to Dr. Mildred Louise Burns. This Governor General’s Award is Canada’s foremost tribute to women who make substantial contributions to promote the equality of women in the country.

On Friday, December 2, 2011, the Montreal Council of Women celebrated its 25th Woman of the Year Award Gala at the Mount Stephen Club in Montreal where Dr. Mildred L. Burns, retired Associate Professor, Administration and Policy Studies in Education, McGill University, was chosen for her outstanding contribution in promoting the advancement of women. Over 150 members and guests attended to pay tribute to Dr. Burns and to Senator Lucie Pepin who is an Honorary Member. The MCW is proud to have Mildred Burns as a long-standing member who served on the Board of Directors for a number of years.

A valued member for over four decades, Dr. Burns continued her active participation in the Delta Kappa Gamma Society (now DKG Quebec) to ensure that women have access to a vast range of educational programs, from literacy to undergraduate and graduate programs, and the support they needed to reach their full potential. Dr. Burns served as President (1989-91), Parliamentarian, the Chair of several committees and our Canadian Area Representative to DKG International. Mildred was active until she was no longer able to attend meetings, but she continued to mentor those who consulted her on various projects, including the Haiti Project and the Canadian Project for ArtsCan Circle. Her continued interest in DKG, both at the local and international levels, never wavered. In appreciation for Mildred’s dedication to DKG Quebec, the Dr. Mildred Burns Award for Leadership in Education was established at McGill University. (Please see details below).

Established in 2001, The Delta Kappa Gamma Dr. Mildred Burns Award for Leadership in Education:

Dr. Mildred L. Burns from McGill University has been a strong leader in encouraging greater involvement of women in senior educational positions. Established in 2001 by the Delta Kappa Gamma Society in honour of Dr. Mildred Burns, a retired associate professor of the Faculty of Education. It is awarded by the Faculty of Education Graduate Studies Scholarships Committee to a student upon graduation who has completed an M.A. in Educational Studies leadership option, on the basis of academic excellence. If two or more equally qualified students are identified, preference shall be given to a female student. The student should have two or more years of relevant professional experience in the educational field.

Donations may be made to the Delta Kappa Gamma Dr. Mildred Burns Award for Leadership in Education in memory of Mildred at the following address:

Development Office

Faculty of Education

McGill University

3700 McTavish Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 1Y2