George P. Burdell: the legend lives on
He's the most famous, well-traveled and mysterious Tech student. Ever.
George P. Burdell first enrolled at Tech in 1927, and, since that time, his legend has become a beloved part of the Institute.
In 1930, Burdell earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He studied at Harvard for a short time before shipping off to England where he flew bombers for both the Navy and the Eighth Air Force during World War II.
Burdell is more than just a gifted engineer and patriot-he is also a prolific writer, having penned countless letters to the editor that have appeared in newspapers, and he served on MAD Magazine's board of directors from 1969-1981.
Burdell's name frequently appears on credit card applications. He is often paged by unsuspecting operators of public address systems at Tech away games and other large events.
Of all Burdell's achievements, perhaps the most notable came in December 2001. Burdell garnered the most votes in an online poll for Time Magazine's Person of the Year. Then, inexplicably, Time pulled Burdell out of the running, paving the way for George W. Bush to claim that illustrious title.
The origin of Burdell may never be known for certain, but the most likely story was described in a 1977 article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Magazine.
The article explains that in 1927, William Edgar Smith, BS '30, received an extra admissions application.
Instead of throwing the form away, Smith decided to fill it in for George P. Butler, the disciplinarian headmaster of his high school.
Smith changed the name at the last minute to Burdell, the maiden name of his best friend's mother.
The prank did not end there. Whenever a professor would take roll, students in the back of the classroom would answer for Burdell. Smith even handed in exams for Burdell, changing his handwriting enough to fool professors. In 1930, Smith and Burdell both received Tech degrees.
Smith's creation soon took on a life of its own. Burdell resurfaced at Tech with the advent of automated registration in the spring quarter of 1969. Burdell registered for every course offered, more than 3,000 credit hours. He did the same in 1975 and 1980, despite attempts by administrators to keep him out.
Burdell seems to have found a more permanent position at Tech in recent years. "The continued clamor and ridicule of my name can no longer proceed," Burdell wrote in a column in the AJC. "I am and have been for 10 years dean of humanities and fine arts."
The Tech tradition of George P. Burdell now passes to the incoming class. Both alumni and upperclassmen look forward to the creativity of the freshman class in ensuring the continued success of Tech's most famous student.
