James E. Burke held more prominent offices in Hamblen County than any other man in history. Burke managed to not only be the mayor of Morristown, (being elected four times, beginning in 1928), but he was also, over the years, the Chairman of the County Court, the Police Chief of Morristown, the Fire Chief of Morristown, and the Sheriff of Hamblen County, as well as being the Postmaster of Morristown.
Burke was born May 29, 1882 in Virginia and went to school at Bristol. In 1897, after moving to Morristown, he was working in Morristown as the night operator for the telephone company, and was attending Morristown High School, (later known as Rose School, and now known as Rose Center.) Beginning in school, he coached the first football team in Morristown, from 1897 to 1905.
Burke married Nellie Jane Shipe (August 8, 1882 - January 30, 1967), who had worked as a telephone company operator in Knoxville before their marriage. They had no children.
Burke managed the regional phone company for a number of years. He was partner in Burke and Hodges building materials business on Main Street. He was president of the Tennessee Coach Company. He was president of the Knoxville Transit Lines. He was chairman of the board of directors of the Bank of Morristown. A controversial buglary at his home in 1947 was touted as being the largest theft from an individual in the history of the United States, netting over a quarter of a million dollars in cash and stocks and bonds.
In later years Burke donated large sums of money to various schools and institutions. His best remembered legacy, (though, sadly, now torn down), was the Princess Theater, which Burke built and operated.
James Edward Burke, former mayor, former chairman of county court, former sheriff, former police chief, former fire chief, former postmaster, builder of the Princess Theater, died at his home on West First North Street on March 1, 1974 at the age of 91. Today he is all but forgotten, and I think his old home has also been torn down as well. He was buried at Jarnigan Cemetery.