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Burk (Margaret Tante) Papers Addendum
MS.141
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Table of contents
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
William H. Hannon Library, Archives & Special Collections, Manuscripts
Title: Margaret Tante Burk Papers Addendum
source:
Burk, Margaret Tante
Identifier/Call Number: MS.141
Physical Description:
3.04 Linear Feet
1 oversized garment box, 2 Banker's boxes, 2 full Hollinger boxes, and 1 half Hollinger box.
Date (inclusive): 1931-1995
Abstract: This collection is an addendum to the Margaret Tante Burk Papers, Collection 084. It consists of additional material from
the Ambassador Hotel, as well as material from Burk's other activities such as Round Table West, her nomination for U.S. Treasurer,
and her works as an author.
This collection has been arranged by item type: artifacts and documents. Documents were kept in their original order and refoldered.
Margaret Tante Burk was born in Savannah, Georgia, in 1918. She attended Northwestern University and Chicago Art Institute
before moving to California where she settled in Los Angeles.
Margaret Tante married Harry J. Burk in 1945. The couple had three children Tray, Linda, and Jimmy, and the family resided
in Wilshire Park. She was vice-president of their Burk Enterprises, which included the one hundred room Lebec Hotel, real
estate development, and a restaurant.
In 1964, Burk started working as an assistant at the Huntington Savings and Loan Association. She was quickly promoted to
vice president and manager of the Wilshire-Highland branch and by the end of 1965, she became vice president and director
of public relations for the entire association. These promotions were distinctive, for Margaret Tante Burk was one of the
first female vice-presidents of a financial institution in the Southern California.
While working at the Huntington Savings and Loan, Burk became involved in the Wilshire Center Chamber of Commerce and in 1969,
she was elected as the first female president of the chamber. Her previous work for the Wilshire Center of Chamber of Commerce
as Chair of the Governmental Affairs Committee and of the General Membership Speaker Committee and as a member of the Transportation
and Parking Committee had paved the way for this presidency.
Among her other distinctive firsts, Margaret Tante Burk also managed to become the first woman voted in to the Lions Club
International.
In 1974, in an indication of her prominence in the business world and her important connections, Margaret Tante Burk was nominated
to be Treasurer of the United States in the Richard Nixon Administration.
In 1969, Burk became the public relations director for the Ambassador Hotel and the Cocoanut Grove, where she worked in some
capacity until 1990. During her time with the Ambassador Hotel, Burk scheduled and coordinated hundreds of events such as
award shows, fashion shows and conventions. Her work as publicist for the hotel earned her national advertising awards and
public relations awards. For example, in 1971 she received the Hotel-Motel National Public Relations Gold Key, a signal honor
in her profession.
After the hotel closed in 1989, Burk continued to book the hotel as a filming location. Numerous movies and television shows
were filmed there including Pretty Woman and The Aviator.
Margaret Tante Burk's love for the hotel and appreciation of its history prompted her to write and publish a book entitled
Are the Stars Out Tonight?: The Story of the World Famous Ambassador and Cocoanut Grove Hollywood's Hotel . This book includes
a history, photographs and anecdotes about the hotel and the Cocoanut Grove. Besides writing this book, Margaret Tante Burk
also authored two other books, was a columnist for Meredith Publications, and contributed to such publications as Variety
and the Hollywood Reporter.
Margaret Tante Burk co-founded her own public relations firm, Burk-Hudson Public Relations, with Marylin Hudson in 1972. Their
clients included the Tony Marks Accounting Firm, Iran National Tourist Organization, California Senior Beauty Pageant and
Summit Lighthouse. Their public relations firm worked out of the Ambassador Hotel.
Along with Adela Rogers St. Johns and Marylin Hudson, Margaret Tante Burk founded the Round Table West in 1977. A sophisticated
book club, the Round Table West hosted famous authors such as Ray Bradbury, Walter Cronkite, Maya Angelou and Michael Crichton
and served as a platform for authors to meet their readers and promote and discuss their books. At one point, with three meetings
a month respectively in Newport Beach, Palm Springs, and Los Angeles, Round Table West was the largest book club in the country.
The philanthropic and community contributions of Margaret Tante Burk are numerous; the following is just a sample. She founded
the Hancock Park Art Council and the Huntington Organ Society. She served as the fund-raising chair for the Children's Home
Society of Bakersfield. She was also a board member of the Professional Women to the Philharmonic and the Windsor Square-Hancock
Park Historical Society.
Margaret Tante Burk passed away in 2011.
Chronology
1919 Birth of Margaret Tante Burk
1945 Married Harry J. Burk
1964 Began working at Huntington Savings and Loan Association
1965 Opened the Wilshire Highland office of the Huntington Park Savings and Loan in her capacity as vice-president and also
manager of this branch.
1966 Became Vice President for Public Relations for the entire Huntington Park Savings and Loan.
1969 Became Public Relations Director for the Ambassador Hotel
Elected as first female President of the Wilshire Chamber of Commerce
1972 Co-Founded Burk-Hudson Public Relations Firm
1974 Nominated for post of Treasurer of the United States of America
1977 Co-Founded the Round Table West with Adela Rodgers St. Johns
1980 Published Are the Stars Out Tonight?: The Story of the World Famous Ambassador and Cocoanut Grove Hollywood's Hotel
2011 Margaret Tante Burk passes away
[Biographical note copied from original finding aid for the Margaret Tante Burk Papers created by Clay Stalls, Christine Bennett,
Liliana Mariscal, and Gia Forsythe]
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Tray and Marie Burk. Accession number: 2018.2.
The collection features many artifacts from the original Ambassador Hotel, along with as documents from Burk's work as public
relations director for the hotel, her works as an author, her nomination for Treasurer of the United States in the Richard
Nixon Administration, her work for the Round Table West book club, as well as personal items.
Collection is open to research under the terms of use of the Department of Archives and Special Collections, Loyola Marymount
University.
Materials in the Department of Archives and Special Collections may be subject to copyright. Unless explicitly stated otherwise,
Loyola
Marymount University does not claim ownership of the copyright of any materials in its collections. The user or publisher
must secure permission to publish from the copyright owner. Loyola Marymount University does not assume any responsibility
for infringement of copyright or of publication rights held by the original author or artists or his/her heirs, assigns, orexecutors.
[Identification of item], Series name, Box and Folder number, Margaret Tante Burk Papers Addendum, MS140, Department of Archives
and Special Collections, William H. Hannon Library, Loyola Marymount University.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Ambassador Hotel
Burk, Margaret Tante
Women -- Societies and clubs
Burk, Margaret Tante