Howard Eugene (Gene) Burnett was born in Wellsville, Kansas on December 4, 1919 to Frank and Allene (Pemberton) Burnett. Frank and Allene Burnett were from Braymer, Missouri and had one older son, Donald Frank Burnett.

When Burnett was 18 months old, Allene Burnett died, leaving him in the care of his maternal grandmother, Aleda Hughson Pemberton Gordon, and her husband Major Byron Gordon until his father could remarry. The Burnett family relocated to Lawrence, Kansas and Burnett graduated from Liberty Memorial High School on May 28, 1937. Burnett married Barbara Ann Knott in 1940.

Burnett started work as a welder at Siebenthaler in Kansas City, Kansas. While working at Airaco as the welding foreman, he attained his pilot's license and would eventually go on to attain an instructor and commerical pilot's license. By the time of his last flight, Burnett had logged 6,500 hours.

After World War II, Gene and Barbara Burnett moved back to Lawrence and started Midwest Manufacturing. Later they would open Burnett Instrument Company, specializing in surgical and medical instruments. Burnett Instrument Company was sold in 1970.

Burnett made many contributions to colleges and schools in Kansas, notably donating the funds needed to build the Gene and Barbara Burnett Burn Center at the University of Kansas (KU) Medical Center. Other notable contributions include the hand rehabilitation center at KU Medical Center; the Burnett Center for Religion and Performing Arts at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas; the DeWitt Center for Music at Bethany College; and the establishment of the Barbara Burnett Scholarship at Lawrence High School in Lawrence.

Burnett died on June 15, 2011 in Lawrence.

[Information pulled from collection materials.]