Burdette B. Lutz Biography
Burdette Benjamin "Bur" Lutz, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Lutz, grew up on a farm near Sciota in Western Illinois. As a youth on the farm, he was involved in both 4-H and FFA. He was a member of the United Brethren Church. Bur enrolled at the University of Illinois in the fall of 1936, selecting general agriculture as his major. He had a County Farmers Institute Scholarship that he earned by competitive examination. While a student at Illinois, he worshipped at University Place Chistian (Disciples of Christ) Church, serving as president and recreation leader of the Illinois Disciples Student Foundation. At the U of I, he was a member of the General Agriculture, Agricultural Education, Rural Life, and Hoof and Horn Clubs. He earned his freshman numerals and sweater as a member of the freshman wrestling squad.
After graduation, Bur farmed until the Navy beckoned in 1942. he was a Seaman 2nd Class in aviation maintenance. After training in the United State, he was sent to Hawaii. Following his discharge from the Navy in 1945, Bur started farming near Good HOpe, Ill. He also taught G.I. On-The-Farm classes for veterans in 1947-48. In 1949-50, he purchased some land near Tampa, Fla. Then, he divided his time farming in Illinois in the summer and developing his Florida land in the winter. He continued his "corn-Florida" rotation for a number of years but eventually chose to remain in Florida full-time. Bur was the father of four children, Michel Burdettee (1949), Steven Ray (1950), Luann Marie (1953), and Christine Louise (1958).
Burdette Lutz is the father of Nabor House. Possessor of a creative, inquisitive, and exploring mind, he conceived the idea of cooperative living as a way for some male students to improve their quality of life socially, spiritually, and physically, while staying within the severed economic constraints under which they were attending college. He set his goal, charted his course, implemented it with unflinching determination, and persisted doggedly in bringing it to fruition. He rented the first house, assembled the furniture for it, and selected the first members. He did the dirty work and the hard work and got the blame for things that were wrong or lacking. He almost single-handedly held the house together for the first year, giving the initial supervision and leadership necessary during the trying early days. Simply, without Burdette Lutz, there would be no Nabor House.
- As written in "An Idea and an Ideal," a history of Nabor House published in 1989.
After graduation, Bur farmed until the Navy beckoned in 1942. he was a Seaman 2nd Class in aviation maintenance. After training in the United State, he was sent to Hawaii. Following his discharge from the Navy in 1945, Bur started farming near Good HOpe, Ill. He also taught G.I. On-The-Farm classes for veterans in 1947-48. In 1949-50, he purchased some land near Tampa, Fla. Then, he divided his time farming in Illinois in the summer and developing his Florida land in the winter. He continued his "corn-Florida" rotation for a number of years but eventually chose to remain in Florida full-time. Bur was the father of four children, Michel Burdettee (1949), Steven Ray (1950), Luann Marie (1953), and Christine Louise (1958).
Burdette Lutz is the father of Nabor House. Possessor of a creative, inquisitive, and exploring mind, he conceived the idea of cooperative living as a way for some male students to improve their quality of life socially, spiritually, and physically, while staying within the severed economic constraints under which they were attending college. He set his goal, charted his course, implemented it with unflinching determination, and persisted doggedly in bringing it to fruition. He rented the first house, assembled the furniture for it, and selected the first members. He did the dirty work and the hard work and got the blame for things that were wrong or lacking. He almost single-handedly held the house together for the first year, giving the initial supervision and leadership necessary during the trying early days. Simply, without Burdette Lutz, there would be no Nabor House.
- As written in "An Idea and an Ideal," a history of Nabor House published in 1989.