Burleson, Rufus Columbus, 1823-1901

Rufus Columbus Burleson was born in Decatur, Alabama, on August 7, 1823, to Jonathon Burleson and Elizabeth Byrd. He was one of thirteen children (8 daughters and 5 sons). From his early years, Burleson was an excellent student who strove to distinguish himself from among his peers. Throughout his youth, he had strong aspirations to attend law school. At the age of sixteen, Burleson had a conversion experience at a Baptist revival and chose to devote his life to the ministry instead. He enrolled in Western Baptist Theological Seminary in Covington, Kentucky and graduated with his degree in 1846.

In 1848, Burleson moved to the Texas frontier as a Baptist missionary a few years after the state had been annexed to the United States. He had been called upon to replace William Tryon, the recently deceased pastor of the First Baptist Church in Houston.

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