Billie Ann Burrill

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Billie Ann Burrill - Wikipedia

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Billie Ann Burrill (March 11, 1921 – March 3, 2010) was a physical education and dance teacher at Rhode Island College, where she co-founded the Rhode Island College Dance Company. As the college's fencing coach, she organized the New England Women’s Intercollegiate Fencing Association. She was also a world-class competitive masters swimmer who set multiple world records, all after the age of 64. She was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 2013.

Biography

Billie Ann Burrill was born in Joliet, Illinois.^[1] In World War II, she served in the Women’s Army Corps (1943–47), rising from private to captain.^[1]^[2] When the war ended, she went to Boston University for her B.A. and Smith College for her master's degree.^[1]

After teaching briefly at the University of Connecticut and at Connecticut College, she got a job in 1954 at Rhode Island College in the Department of Health and Physical Education, where she taught folk dance and golf.^[1] She also coached the fencing team, a role that prompted her to organize the New England Women’s Intercollegiate Fencing Association, of which she was president for a time.^[1]^[3]

Burrill cofounded the Rhode Island College Dance Company and served as its director (1956–59).^[1] She developed expertise in lighting, production, and stage management and spent seven summers at the American Dance Festival as production stage manager.^[1]^[3] She worked as business manager for the Paul Taylor Dance Company during it early years.^[1]

In 1980, she retired from Rhode Island College.^[1] Around that time, she took up swimming as therapy for arthritis pain and developed into a world-class masters swimmer,^[1]^[4] setting 7 world swimming records, all after the age of 64.^[2] She won nearly 300 gold medals and set individual age-group world records in the 800-meter freestyle and the 1500-meter freestyle (age group 65-69).^[1] The latter record remained unbroken for more than two decades.^[4]^[2] In 2007, aged 86, Burrill won an All-American title in the 50-yard freestyle (age group 85–89). She was inducted into both the Rhode Island Aquatic Hall of Fame and the International Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame.^[1]

She died 2010 and was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 2013.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Lyons, Michael E. "Inductee Details: Billie Ann Burrill". Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame
^ ^a ^b ^c Gilpatrick, Kristin. "Master Swimmer: Octogenarian Sets World Records, Wins Gold". E-Register, Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, 2008.
^ ^a ^b "RIDance Who's Who: The B's". RIDance.com.
^ ^a ^b "USMS Swimmer Info: Billie Ann Burrill". U. S. Masters Swimming website.

External links

Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame Women Inductees

1960s

1966	Glenna Collett Vare
1967	Eileen Farrell Ruth Hussey
1968	E. Doris Brennan Paula Deubel Carole Garnett-Wheeler Clara LaMore Janet Moreau Albina Osipowich Lois Ann Testa
1969	JoAnne Carner June Rockwell Levy Mary Tucker Thorp

1970s

1970	Jean Madeira
1971	Ruth Buzzi Ida Silverman
1972	Margaret F. Ackroyd
1975	Catherine S. Robinson
1977	Gertrude Meth Hochberg Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones
1978	Antoinette Downing Frances G. Knight Princess Red Wing

1980s

1980	Diane L. Coutu Florence K. Murray
1981	Anna Tucker Katherine Urquhart Warren
1982	Eleanor Slater
1983	Katharine Gibbs
1985	Olive F. Wiley
1986	Eleanor M. McMahon
1987	Sister Mary Bernard Sister Eileen Murphy
1988	Marion F. Avarista

1990s

1990	Ade Bethune
1991	Gladys Williams Brayton
1992	Mary P. Brennan Nancy A. J. Potter
1993	Mary Crowley Mulvey
1994	Lizzie Murphy Barbara-Jeanne Seabury
1996	Helen A. Bert Catherine Tilley Hammett Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf Arlene Violet
1997	Mary Dyer Sylvia Hassenfeld Anne Hutchinson Margaret Langdon-Kelly Maria Spacagna
1998	Helen Metcalf Danforth Ann Smith Franklin Sarah Updike Goddard
1999	Beatrice Oenslager Chace

2000s

2000	Doris Holloway Abels
2001	Prudence Crandall Doris Duke Mary Elizabeth Sharpe Harriet Ware
2002	Elizabeth Buffum Chace Leona McElroy Kelly Mary Francis Xavier Warde Catharine R. Williams
2003	Christiana Carteaux Bannister Paulina Kellogg Wright Davis Julia Ward Howe Victoria Lederberg
2004	Sara DeCosta-Hayes Lynne Jewell Helen Johns Katie King-Crowley Frances Harriet Whipple Green McDougall Harriet Metcalf Aileen Riggin Lila Sapinsley Sarah Helen Whitman
2005	Sarah Elizabeth Doyle Norma Ann Garnett Ida Lewis Alice A. Sullivan
2006	Therese Antone Nancy Gewirtz Barbara H. Roberts
2007	Anna Garlin Spencer Mary Emma Woolley
2008	Maud Howe Elliott Marjorie Joy Vogel
2009	Annie Smith Peck

2010s

2010	Kathleen S. Connell Susan Farmer Caroline Hazard
2011	Jane Stuart
2012	Karen Adams Eileen Slocum Mary C. Wheeler
2013	Wilma Briggs Billie Ann Burrill Martha McSally Lucy Rawlings Tootell
2014	Catherine O'Reilly Collette Isabelle Ahearn O'Neill Abby Aldrich Rockefeller
2015	Noreen Stonor Drexel Gertrude I. Johnson Margaret McKenna Mary T. Wales
2016	Pauline Maier Patricia R. Recupero Betty R. Vohr
2017	Sarah J. Eddy Marie Rode Ferron Louisa Sharpe Metcalf
2018	Holly Patrice Wood
2019	Sister Mary Reilly Rose E. Weaver

2020s

2020	Sara MacCormack Algeo Roberta Dunbar Bertha G. Higgins Maria Kindberg Ingeborg Kindstedt Sophia R. Little Fanny Purdy Palmer Anna W. Spenser Lillie Buffum Chace Wyman

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