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Fridav. April 22, 1977
University Daily Kansan
Marathon manager has other 'Little projects'
By JASON NUSS
Sports Writer
Gene Burnett may be retired, but you don't prove it by looking at his schedule.
Burnett, 57, will keep himself busy this weekend with the marathon race at the Kansas Relays. He will serve as the manager of the 38-mile race.
But that's just one interest he has dabbled in, promoted, perfected or financed.
Burnett has been in the manufacturing business most of his life. He started his own business in 1963 and has become a
strument Co., shortly after the end of World War II. He sold the company in 1790 but stayed with the firm under contract until his retirement in 1873.
BUT HIS RETREIMENT just signaled the start of Herman's varied projects
"Since I retired I have kept active on the hospital board and in managing my ranch," Burnett said. "But I'm really in the oil business and other little projects."
One of those projects is building an airplane in his basement.
Burnett said he bought the plans to build
the biplane from a man in California for $50,
and he will have the project finished within three months.
"Some FFA people were here the other day looking at the plane, and gave it a very good rating. "Burnett said." "Flying a plane is not as fun as most fun comes from building your on "n".
SURPRISEINGLY ENOUGH, Burnett's involvement in the marathon at the KU relays resulted from the fact that he's a pilot.
KU track coach Bob Timmons called
Staff photo by MIKE CAMORELLI
Gene Burnett-flying a plane is okay, building one is better.
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Burnett and asked to be flown around the county to plot a marathon course.
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THE OLD wind gauge (used to measure the wind velocity during a track event)
to measure how fast the ball would burst. "It has a long tube with a propeller. The wind would spin the propeller and we would have to record the r.p.m.'s of the propeller and then calculate that into miles per minute."
Alley, also a KU graduate and former American record holder in the javelin, works for Research Engineer's Corp. His company designed the Olympic Wind Gauge, the official gauge used in the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
Burnett contacted two KU graduates, Dave Carson and Phil Burger, about the idea. Carson and Burger, along with George Carson, got the new gauge, but sold the idea to Bill Alley.
"We spent most of the month plotting the course," Timmons recalled, "and when we landed, Gene ended up being the manager of the marathon."
AFTER BURNETT sold his instrument company in 1970, he contributed funds from the sale to the KU Medical Center. The company also sold the burn center, which is named after him.
But Burnett was involved with the RELays before plotting the marathon course. For several years he was in charge of facilities and equipment for the design for an electrical wind gauge.
Burnett also manufactured the first electrical skin grafting machine, which is the main instrument in plastic surgery for burn patients. The instrument was designed by George Lodge, a KU professor, and Earl Pagen, surgeon at the Med Center.
Relays will be in meters again
Events in the Kansas RELays will be in meters instead of yards again this year.
The metric system was used in last year's Relays because 1976 was an Olympic year. The other 51 previous Relays recorded all races in yards.
Coach Bob Timmons said recently that the transition to the metric system was being made gradually because that system was the one used in Olympic competition.
The team relays and Glenn Cunningham inlet will still be run in yards, however, as the ball is kicked down.
"After I sold my business," Burnett said, "I wanted to put something back into the medical field, so the burn center was my payment."
WHAT MAKES Burnett's story even more reminiscent of the Horato Aliger style is that the story is written in italics.
"One of my friends, George Hood, once told me if I had a college education, I wouldn't be doing some of the things I'm involved in," Burnett said, laughing.
Burnett is now concentrating on the marathon, an event that may draw 200
"The marathon is becoming a big event." Timmons said, "and one of the reasons is
"He has the ability to see the entire project beforehand.
"He has followed up each marathon, talking to the athletes and seeking ways to improve upon it each year. I don't even worry about the marathon, because Gene is in charge of it and I know it will be a success.
"We could use a few more Gene Burnett."
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