Cappy Burnside

Lester Wade Burnside, Jr. (January 30, 1934 – August 30, 2014), better known as "Cappy" Burnside, was an American businessman. He was the driving force behind relocating the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division headquarters to North Central West Virginia[1] and also served on the board of the Friends of West Virginia Public Radio (now West Virginia Public Broadcasting) as well as other boards of directors and organizations.[2]

Lester W. "Cappy" Burnside, Jr.
Cappy Burnside in his office circa 1984
Born Lester Wade Burnside, Jr.
(1934-01-30)January 30, 1934
Clarksburg, West Virginia United States
Died August 30, 2014(2014-08-30) (aged 80)
Bridgeport, West Virginia
Monuments Lester W. "Cappy" Burnside, Jr. Bridge, Bridgeport, West Virginia
Education Greenbrier Military School (Class of 1951), West Virginia University (Class of 1955)
Known for
  • Being the driving force behind the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division's move to Clarksburg, which brought thousands of jobs and many businesses and developments to North Central West Virginia. The FBI would not have "happened" at all without Cappy's efforts.[3][1][4]
  • His work with Friends of West Virginia Public Radio as a member of the board of directors (1992-2006), chairman of the board (1995) and treasurer (post-1995). He was known as "The Peacemaker" (and given an award) for his ability to settle disputes.[5][3][6][7]
Spouse(s) Carolyn Reynolds Burnside m. 1956 - 2014 (his death)
Children
  • Mary Wade Burnside Triplett
  • Patricia Kathleen "Kate" Burnside
Parent(s)
  • Lester W. Burnside, Sr. (father)
  • Louise Nowery Burnside (mother)
Awards
  • American Society of Highway Engineers Man of the Year (1988)
  • Harrison County Chamber of Commerce Award for Outstanding Service to the Community and Special Recognition of FBI Efforts (1996)
  • Distinguished Mountaineer Award, by then-Governor Joe Manchin (2010)

Early Life

Lester Wade Burnside, Jr. ("Cappy") was born on January 30, 1934, in Clarksburg, West Virginia to Lester W. "Brownie" Burnside, Sr. and Mary Louise Nowery.[8][3] The Burnside family were among the earliest settlers of Good Hope, in southern Harrison County, West Virginia, arriving in 1797.[9]

Cappy married Carolyn Mae Reynolds[10] in 1956.[11] They had two children: Patricia Kathleen "Kate" Burnside[12] and Mary Wade Burnside Triplett.[13][3]

Education

Cappy Burnside attended Greenbrier Military School, graduating in 1951.[14] He attended West Virginia University, where he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity[15] and a member of Scabbard and Blade (military honorary).[16] He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce in 1955.[17] He was a lifetime member of the West Virginia University Alumni Association, a member of the Emeritus Club, and frequently contributed to the Old Gold Club.[3][6][7]

Military

Cappy Burnside entered the United States Army at the rank of Second Lieutenant and was posted to Fort Eustis, Virginia with his wife Carolyn in 1956, shortly after their marriage. When he and Carolyn moved back to Clarksburg, West Virginia in 1959, he continued in the United States Army Reserve where he achieved the rank of Captain before retiring from the military in the early 1960s.[3]

Consolidated Supply Company

Consolidated Supply Company ("Consolidated") was established in Clarksburg, West Virginia by Cappy's father, Lester W. “Brownie” Burnside, Sr. on April 29, 1929, as a West Virginia Domestic C | Corporation.[18] Cappy Burnside began working for his father at Consolidated upon his return from Fort Eustis in 1958 as a salesman and was promoted to general manager within five years. In 1974, Brownie Burnside retired and Cappy became president and treasurer of Consolidated Supply Company.[3]

Consolidated Supply Company started with a plant in the West End of Clarksburg providing ready-mix concrete, sand, gravel, brick, and other building supplies. Consolidated eventually added industrial doors and locks to its inventory. A second plant opened in Bridgeport in the mid-1960s. The company was known in the Mid-Atlantic region for quality control; each batch of concrete was tested in an onsite lab. As a result, Consolidated was asked to provide most of the concrete to the West Virginia Division of Highways[19] during the construction of Interstate 79, many major road upgrades, and Corridor H as well as some large-scale projects such as cooling towers. Consolidated also sold specialty brick products.

Both of Consolidated Supply Company's plants sustained considerable damage in the November 1985 floods that devastated West Virginia and surrounding states. The company recovered but subsequent damage, including a fire, contributed to problems. He decided to close Consolidated Supply Company in 1992.[3]

A successful--albeit challenging--effort to bring the FBI to Clarksburg, West Virginia (an overview)

In 1990, the late Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-WV), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee (and at the time a neighbor and friend of then-FBI Director William Sessions), inserted language in the fiscal 1990 "dire emergencies" appropriations bill promising the FBI $185 million for a brand-new, high-tech fingerprint center. There was a catch: it had to be located in Senator Byrd's home state of West Virginia.[20]

It was necessary to create a new fingerprint center. The existing fingerprint center in Washington, District of Columbia had grown so large that four floors in the J. Edgar Hoover Building, which is the FBI's main headquarters, had to be reinforced to support the weight of over 187 million fingerprint cards.[20] There was a high turnover of employees because of overwhelming problems and resulting poor morale. Biometrics technology for identifying fingerprints was available, but there was no room in the J. Edgar Hoover Building.[20] At the time, the bureau had a backlog of over 750,000 uncatalogued fingerprint cards and the number was rising. The FBI files were becoming obsolete, making it nearly impossible for the FBI to meet the needs of law enforcement to identify fingerprints in a timely manner.[20] Director William Sessions explained all of this in a May 8, 1990, letter to Senator Byrd asking for help, declaring that the agency's fingerprint system "is now in danger of immediate collapse."[20] Senator Byrd saw a perfect opportunity for a state-of-the-art fingerprint center to be built in his home state of West Virginia.[21]. Then-President George H.W. Bush quickly signed the "dire emergencies" appropriations bill and Senator Byrd had succeeded in securing potentially thousands of jobs for West Virginians.[22][21]

There was one decision yet to be made: A location in West Virginia had to be found that suited the FBI and pleased Senator Byrd. There were several areas that wanted the FBI to relocate to their area. The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia was ruled out because it is within commuting distance of Washington, DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia; the idea was to employ a high percentage of West Virginians. Counties that bordered three other states that surround West Virginia--Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kentucky--were ruled out for the same reason. Senator Byrd was partial to his hometown of Beckley, in Raleigh County but city officials could not pull a plan together that suited the FBI. Morgantown, in Monongalia County, wanted the FBI in their city, but they were turned down (Morgantown became the site of a state-of-the-art NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) facility in 1997, also with help from Senator Byrd).[23] The FBI ultimately chose Clarksburg to be the site for their new FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division. [20] [24][25]

There were obstacles along the way, trying to meet the high standards of the FBI. Cappy Burnside, president of Harrison 2000 (Harrison County's economic development organization),[20] was a strong and driving force behind the process that brought the FBI to Clarksburg.[3][6][7] As Don Flynn, retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent/Section Chief who worked closely with Cappy during the FBI project said at the dedication of a bridge in Cappy's honor, "Without Cappy, I know this wouldn't have been here in Harrison County, and it was extremely iffy if it would've happened at all."[26]

Opening in 1995 with over 1,000 employees,[27] it has grown to be the largest division of the FBI.[28] Other services located at this site include the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System ("IAFIS"), Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal ("LEEP"), LEO Enterprise Portal ("LEO-EP"), Law Enforcement National Data Exchange ("N-DEx"), National Crime Information Center ("NCIC"), National Instant Criminal Background Check System ("NICS"), Next Generation Identification ("NGI") and Uniform Crime Reporting ("UCR").[28] As of 2016, the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services employed 3500 people, after adding several hundred positions that year. Increased requests for background checks continue to create growth within the division.[29]

Interests in and contributions to Harrison County and West Virginia

For most of his adult life, Cappy Burnside was involved in community and state organizations.[3][6][7]

Organizations

Cappy Burnside served two consecutive terms as president of the Harrison County Chamber of Commerce[30] from 1987 to 1989. (Interview with Kathy Wagner, President of Harrison County Chamber of Commerce on September 26, 2018).[3] In 1985, he initiated the Blue Ribbon Committee of the Chamber to unify economic development efforts. This evolved into the Joint Committee for Economic Development, which subsequently incorporated as Harrison 2000, instrumental in successfully locating the FBI in Clarksburg, West Virginia.[3][6][7]

  • Mountaineer Country Travel Council board of directors[6][7]
  • West Virginia Life Science Center board of directors[6][7]
  • Association of Industrial Development board of directors[3][6][7]
  • Builders’ Supply Association of West Virginia board of directors 1965-1991, president 1969[7]
  • Black Diamond Girl Scout Council board of directors[6][7]
  • Boy Scouts of America, Central West Virginia Council board of directors[3][6][7]
  • North Bend Rails to Trails Foundation Advisory Board[3][6][7]
  • Salvation Army Advisory Board[3][6][7]
  • Friends of West Virginia Public Radio board of directors 1992-2006, chairman 2004-2005, treasurer[5][3][6][7]

He was also active in other organizations:

  • Mon Valley Tri-State Network[3][6][7]
  • American Society of Highway Engineers, Central West Virginia Chapter, president 1989[3][6][7]
  • Clarksburg Industrial Development Corporation, president 1989-1990[3][6][7]
  • Miss West Virginia Scholarship Pageant, president 1979[6][7]
  • Clarksburg Kiwanis Club, president 1969-1970[3][6][7]
  • Clarksburg Planning and Zoning Commission, member 1963-1978[3][6][7]

Awards

Cappy was the recipient of awards and recognition during his lifetime. They included:

  • American Society of Highway Engineers Man of the Year (1988)[6][7]
  • Harrison County Chamber of Commerce Award for Outstanding Service to the Community and Special Recognition of FBI Efforts (1996)[6][7]
  • Distinguished Mountaineer Award, by then-Governor Joe Manchin (2010)[6][7]

Legacies

The Lester W. "Cappy" Burnside Jr. Bridge

The Lester W. "Cappy" Burnside, Jr. Bridge facing west toward the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia

The bridge carrying West Virginia Route 279 over Interstate 79 to and from the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division on Jerry Dove Drive[31] was named the Lester W. "Cappy" Burnside, Jr. Bridge[3] and dedicated on November 26, 2014, in his honor.[26]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Murray, Brittany (September 27, 2014). "'Cappy' Burnside honored with local bridge dedication". Clarksburg Exponent Telegram. Retrieved 23 September 2018. Donald Flynn, retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent/Section Chief, worked on the FBI project very closely with Burnside. 'Without Cappy, I know this wouldn’t have been here in Harrison County, and it was extremely iffy if it would’ve happened at all,' he said.
  2. ↑ "'Cappy' Burnside, driving force behind FBI relocation, dies at 80". Clarksburg Exponent Telegram. August 31, 2014. p. 6. From 1992 until 2006, Burnside was a board member of the Friends of West Virginia Public Radio, which he served as chair in 1995 and then as treasurer.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 "HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 60 (By Mr. Speaker (Mr. Miley), Delegates Iaquinta, Fragale, and Hamrick)". West Virginia Legislature Second Session of the 83rd Legislature. State of West Virginia. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  4. 1 2 Murray, Brittany. "'Cappy' Burnside honored with local bridge dedication". Clarksburg Exponent-Telegram. Retrieved 26 September 2018. Don Flynn, Former FBI Supervisory Special Agent in Charge: 'After Cappy got the land, we had to sell it to the FBI and to the Congress,' he said. 'Lo and behold in January 1991, we were able to get the land package settled, sold, and we were in business. We knew right then and there this project was really going to happen.' Burnside was also involved in developing a highway interchange, leading to future development that would follow in the area. 'Thanks, Cappy. You made it happen,' Flynn said.
  5. 1 2 Staff Writer (June 10, 1994). "Officers Elected". Charleston Gazette. p. D5. Board of Directors of the Friends of West Virginia Public Radio - L.W. Burnside, Bridgeport, chairman; Susan Hogan, Wheeling, vice chairwoman; Rhonda I. Stout, Alderson, secretary; and Rodger Melling, Elkview, treasurer.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Staff Writer (August 31, 2014). "'Cappy' Burnside, driving force behind FBI relocation, dies at 80". Clarksburg Exponent Telegram. p. A6.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Staff Writer (August 31, 2014). "Obituary of Lester Wade 'Cappy' Burnside, Jr". Charleston Gazette. p. 3.
  8. ↑ Burnside, Lester (January 30, 1934). Certified Copy of Birth Certificate of Lester W. Burnside. File 615: West Virginia Office for Registration of Vital Statistics.
  9. ↑ Thrash, Harriet. "Good Hope Community". West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  10. ↑ "Burnside honored by foundation board". The Washington Irving Newsletter. April 3, 2015. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  11. ↑ Blaney, Carye L., Clerk of the Monongalia County Court (May 11, 1956). "Marriage Certificate of Lester Wade Burnside Jr. and Carolyn Mae Reynolds" (Marriage Record Book 36 Page 376). Monongalia County Clerk: State of West Virginia, County of Monongalia.
  12. ↑ Brannon,, Mrs. E.H., Clerk of the Harrison County Court (March 22, 1960). "Birth Certificate of Patricia Kathleen Burnside" (District No. 170, Serial No. 21). West Virginia State Department--Division of Vital Statistics.
  13. ↑ Bow, Marie, Clerk of the Harrison County Court (March 10, 1964). "Birth Certificate of Mary Wade Burnside" (District No. 170, Serial No. 247). West Virginia Department of Health, Division of Vital Statistics.
  14. ↑ "Cadet Database--Lester Wade Burnside, Jr". Greenbrier Military School Alumni Association. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  15. ↑ "Delta Tau Delta". Monticola '55. West Virginia University Yearbook Staff. 1955. pp. 136–137.
  16. ↑ "Scabbard & Blade". Monticola '55. West Virginia University Yearbook Staff. 1955. p. 66.
  17. ↑ "Seniors". Monticola '55. West Virginia University Yearbook Staff. 1955. p. 185.
  18. ↑ "Consolidated Supply Co. in Clarksburg, WV--Company Info & Reviews". Bizapedia. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  19. ↑ "Division of Highways". West Virginia Department of Transportation. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 McAllister, Bill (March 13, 1991). "Byrd's Big Prize: Bringing Home the FBI; Appropriations Maneuver Sends Fingerprint Center to West Virginia". The Washington Post. p. A1.
  21. 1 2 Marsh, Don (July 27, 1990). "Robert Byrd as Economic Asset". Charleston Gazette. p. A4.
  22. ↑ Staff Writer (May 25, 1990). "FBI relocation funds approved". Charleston Daily Mail.
  23. ↑ Headley, M.S., Tanya; Shahan, J.D., Katie (April 21, 2014). "The History and Future of NIOSH Morgantown". NIOSH Science Blog. CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  24. ↑ Schwartz, Bob (March 15, 1990). "FBI to discuss move to Clarksburg". Charleston Gazette. p. B1.
  25. ↑ Staff Writer (October 11, 1990). "FBI confident in Clarksburg, Sessions says". Charleston Gazette. p. A2.
  26. 1 2 Murray, Brittany. "'Cappy' Burnside honored with local bridge dedication". Clarksburg Exponent Telegram. Clarksburg Publishing Co.
  27. ↑ "First Workers on Job at New FBI Center". Charleston Gazette. April 25, 1995. p. A1.
  28. 1 2 "Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS)". FBI: Services. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  29. ↑ Swiger, Darlene J. (Jan 11, 2016). "FBI to add more than 230 jobs at Clarksburg facility". Clarksburg Exponent Telegram. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  30. ↑ "Harrison Chamber--Connect Here". Harrison County Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  31. ↑ "Jerry Dove". FBI--History--Wall of Honor. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
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