John Luddy Burke

{{Short description|United States Navy officer, business executive and American football player}}

{{Infobox person

| name = John Luddy Burke

| image =

| imagesize =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1909|8|22}}

| birth_place = Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2003|9|5|1909|8|22}}

| death_place = Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S.

| alma_mater = Manhattan College

| occupation = Business executive
Naval officer

| spouse = {{marriage|Ann Gertrude Rock|January 22, 1943|October 11, 1990|end=died}}

| relatives = Morgan J. Burke Jr. (brother)

| module = {{Infobox military person

| embed = yes

| image =

| image_upright = yes

| width_style = person

| branch_label = Branch

| branch = United States Navy

| serviceyears_label = Years

| serviceyears = 1943–1945

| rank = Lieutenant commander

| unit =

| battles_label = Battles

| battles = {{tree list}}

• World War II
• Battle of Saipan
• Battle of Hollandia
• Battle of Leyte
• Invasion of Lingayen Gulf

{{tree list/end}}

}}

}}

John Luddy Burke (August 22, 1909 – September 5, 2003) was a United States Navy officer and business executive. He played semi-professional American football for several years.

John Luddy Burke was born on August 22, 1909, in Waterbury, Connecticut. His eldest brother was Morgan J. Burke Jr., a New York judge and attorney.{{cite news |author= |date=18 September 1927 |title=Manhattan Sure of Weighty Line |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_new-york-times_1927-09-18_76_25439 |work=The New York Times |via=Internet Archive |access-date=30 June 2023}}

Burke attended Manhattan College in New York City, during which time he was considered an "excellent football player". The lettermen of Manhattan College elected him captain of the college team in a unanimous vote in 1930.{{cite news |author= |date=7 December 1929 |title=JOHN BURKE IS ELECTED |url=https://archive.org/details/per_christian-science-monitor_1929-12-07_22_11 |work=The Christian Science Monitor |via=Internet Archive |access-date=30 June 2023}} He played semi-professional football for many teams in the Waterbury area.[http://www.geocities.ws/jack_burke_2000/Burke/john_luddy_burke_and_ann_rock.htm John Luddy Burke and Ann Rock] The New York Times considered him a "splendid tackler and receiver of passes".{{cite news |author= |date=29 September 1929 |title=MANHATTAN BRACES AT END TO WIN, 21-6; Burke Goes Over Three Times in Last 2 Periods to Turn Back Newport Naval Reserve. FIRST HALF HARD FOUGHT Jaspers Come Back Strongly and Aided by Passes Quickly Break Secreless Draw. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1929/09/29/archives/manhattan-braces-at-end-to-win-216-burke-goes-over-three-times-in.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=30 June 2023}}

Burke joined the United States Navy following the Attack on Pearl Harbor. He served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater between 1943 and 1945 on the {{sclass|Fletcher|destroyer}} USS Conner. Gaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander, he took part in the Philippines campaign (1944–1945) and the battles of Saipan, Hollandia, Leyte, and Lingayen Gulf. He led several boat parties from the USS Conner with Japanese prisoners from the Pacific.

In 1946, Burke ran unsuccessfully as a candidate for the Connecticut House of Representatives representing Waterbury.[https://electionhistory.ct.gov/eng/candidates/view/John-L-Burke John L. Burke (S)] at CT.GOV-Connecticut's Official State Website{{cite web |url=https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/burke.html |title=Burke |author= |website=The Political Graveyard |publisher=HDL |access-date=30 June 2023}}

Burke then entered the Outdoor Advertising Industry. He rose to become president of Big D Outdoor Advertising and, in 1960, was elected executive vice president of Packer Outdoor Advertising and vice president of the Harry H. Packer Company and the Outdoor Investment Company.{{cite news |author= |date=1 August 1960 |title=Burke Joins Packer Corp |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_advertising-age_1960-08-01_31_31 |work=Advertising Age |via=Internet Archive |access-date=30 June 2023}}