Burmahln Family Papers, 1877-1986

Collection context

Summary

Title:
Burmahln Family Papers
Dates:
1877-1986
Creators:
Burmahln family
Abstract:
This collection contains the family documents of Lyle and Clarence Burmahln, who are responsible for funding San José State University's Clarence F. and Lyle V. Burmahln Scholarships. The Burmahln documents were given to the university by Austen Warburton, the Burmahlns' lawyer and advisor, when the scholarships were established in the mid-1980s.
Extent:
1 Box (.42 linear feet)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Burmahln Family Papers, MSS-1986-04-11, San José State University Library, Special Collections & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains family documents from the Burmahln family such as marriage and baptismal certificates, property records for the Burmahln ranch in Almaden, correspondence about Lyle and Clarence Burmahln, and family photos.

Biographical / historical:

Lyle Burmahln (née Pardee) was born in Watsonville, California, in 1901. After graduating from Watsonville High School, she moved to San José and worked as a legal secretary. She married Clarence Burmahln on July 10, 1939. Before her death in 1984, Mrs. Burmahln bequeathed $250,000.00 to San José State University. Upon receiving the gift in 1985, SJSU President Gail Fullerton told the Spartan Daily, "This is the largest single gift for scholarship from a private source the school has ever received."

Lyle's husband, Clarence Burmahln, was born in 1892 and grew up on a farm in Kiel, Wisconsin. His work as a young adult included selling knives and running a haberdashery shop. He eventually moved to California and settled in the Santa Clara Valley, working as a foreman at his cousin's winery in Evergreen. In 1928, he purchased a ranch in Almaden that became his life's work. The ranch produced fruit, vegetables, nuts, and housed a winery. He died in San José in 1965.

Processing information:

Processed by Fiona DuBrock in December 2019.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged alphabetically by document type.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Fiona DuBrock
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2020-02-13 16:50:31 -0800 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Copyright has not been assigned to San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives. All requests for permission to publish or quote from materials must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections & Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections & Archives as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital reproductions of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational institutions.

Preferred citation:

Burmahln Family Papers, MSS-1986-04-11, San José State University Library, Special Collections & Archives.

Location of this collection:
One Washington Square
San Jose, CA 95192-0028, US
Contact:
408-808-2062