Deborah Burkett( second from left) is pictured with Sam Hopkins( from left), Charlie Esco and Kathleen Stanfill, members of the Sesquicentennial Committee whose efforts resulted in a historical marker, regarding Jacksonville’ s Public Square, being erected in Hazel Tilton Park during the city’ s 150th anniversary year. traveled there to visit friends and was attending a dinner with a lot of teachers and the superintendent present.
“ They were looking for teachers and they offered me a job and I took it,” Burkett said.
As a recent hire, Burkett’ s principal told her one day that they needed a referee for a girl’ s basketball game and asked her if she knew anyone.
“ I said,‘ I can.’ That was part of my education in Texas and I’ ve refereed lots of games. He said,‘ You’ re kidding,’ and I said,‘ I have a shirt and a whistle too.’”
After that, Burkett became the girls’ basketball coach. She also coached volleyball.
She said she wasn’ t teaching in Alaska long when she earned her doctorate from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. After completing the doctorate, she was asked to apply for a job which led to a 21-year career with the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Her position there required her to travel across the states making site visits. Burkett would spend a day at each site interviewing doctors,
24 Jacksonville Progress | Spring 2025