Our Board of Trustees member Mr. James Spinner, Alumni of our class of 1969, generously gifted KCP a great treasure and what was surely a beloved collection of memorabilia from his years as a Tiger and Culture Editor of the Parrish Crier, the student-led school newspaper, today known as El Milenio!

Mr. Spinner shipped KCP his collection of original copies of the Parrish Crier, dating back to 1962 and, as we curiously went through all of them with the utmost care as not to tear the delicate paper apart, we stumbled upon a wonderful interview with Dr. Fox in the May 30, 1967 edition. So, to continue honoring his legacy, we have transcribed it entirely so you can continue enjoying the story of this wonderful man who did so much for our School.

Enjoy!

That Man From California

In California, not so long ago as many think, a boy was born and went to school. He organized a newspaper, promoted boxing matches, and made fairly good grades, at the same time. He didn’t study very hard unless a subject really interested him, because his mind was on jobs and work. He lived in an average home but to him it was something special. His mother was from Massachusetts, his father from Texas, but he is a “native son of California”. Although he had one brother and one sister, he had a great deal of responsibility ever since he could remember. This situation benefited him and he had few illusions concerning money. His young ambition was security for his existing and future family. The boy was not yet out of school.

He entered private enterprise immediately after his graduation from high school, but the war began and he joined the Marine Corps. During the years spent in service his outlook changed and he decided that he wanted more of an education.

He considered himself an “old man” by the time he began studying at San Diego State College. His subject area was social sciences in which he majored. He got a degree in secondary education and was qualified to teach anything in high school. He started teaching in San Diego, where he taught history and speech.

Our man disliked the idea of getting into a big school system, such as in the United States. He knew the disadvantages of a small system, such as no central office to call for a substitute or books, but his personality wouldn’t allow him to fall into a routine where there was no challenge. When he was offered a job in Medellin, New Zealand, and Tanganyika, he chose Medellin because it intrigued him.

His pay in the bi-national school there was one third less than he’d been receiving in San Diego. He was aware that “you’re not in the game for money”. The year was 1962 and he was teaching, at the school in Medellin: History, Geography, English and P.E. He was also in charge of the high school activities, primarily Student Council and Newspaper.

His contract was for 2 years and in 1964, Bogota offered him the job as high school principal in Nueva Granada. In June, of the same year, Colegio Karl C. Parrish asked our man to come and look at Barranquilla because “the man who planned to come kind of unplanned overnight”. He looked, they talked and the contract was signed. Bogota was understanding and released him. Between June and August he flew to Barranquilla three times to set up schedules for classes and to interview teachers.

Burton Fox was now the director of K.C.P. He had a great deal of problems and work ahead but he anticipated them as a job to be done. “There’s no merit, this is the challenge, you can’t goof off and still move up the scale.”

As he became more involved in the school, things started to happen. His benefit was a mental satisfaction when it was finished, just having been a part in the creation of something. Our benefit was a remodeled building, a working Student Council and Newspaper, an enlarged faculty, and many other improvements and innovations. During the time he spent as our principal he was offered three other director jobs which he didn’t accept. He believes that “when you come to do a job, you stay and get it done.”

In June of 1964, nine teachers had been needed for a cult of 25; this year in April, only 2 were needed for a faculty of 32. A cast improvement in three years.

When his two year contract with K.C.P. was up, he was offered another one year contract. It was understood that after this he was planning on continuing his studies towards his Ph. D.

Then a new idea of supervising the bi-national schools of Colombia was conceived. All during the Christmas holidays of 1966, Mr. Fox was in Washington, Tuscaloosa, and here working out how it would function and the role each school would play. Officially this program has been in effect since January 1 with Mr. Fox being the superintendent. It consists of the schools in Barranquilla, Cartagena, and Medellin, and there is a possibility of others joining later on. It’s hoped that this program will offer a continuity to the diverse school programs heretofore not found in many of the schools. (More detailed information on this program can be found elsewhere in this issue).

When he began his studies in the graduate courses of the university of Alabama, Mr. Fox took a psychoanalytical exam. The results, as interpreted by a machine, said he would be “miserable as a scientist” and should enter one of the two fields: education or theology. Mr. Fox is a convert to catholicism since the war and he said speculatively, “ Maybe after I retire in this business, I should go out and be Billy Grahman.”

He likes bi-national work “for it really accomplishes a purpose for the people involved. The best move I ever made in my life was coming to Colombia.”

“I think the school now has laid such a firm base, not just because of me, that we’ll really be able, next year, to enjoy the products of the labors of the students, teachers, administrators and Board.”

Many people wonder what Mr. Fox does in his spare time. But how much leisure is there in an 18-hour day of conferences, often between countries? Very little, I’m sure.

But when he’s really tired out and he wants to relax he takes off for a while in a car, alone, to the country, on good roads. “ If 200 turns out to be 2,000, fine!” During these trips he has time to think about what he’s doing and decide whether there’s a better way to work out a program or a problem. This psychoanalysis is important to him for, as he stated, “there are too many lives involved”. He also enjoys visiting with people knowledgeable in U.S. politics but, “ If you enjoy your work it’s the only relaxing you need”.

Burton Fox has never married but he doesn’t doubt it will happen, in fact, he thinks, “It’s a tremendous possibility”, if he doesn’t get “too old or grey”. “There are many times when you’re around youngsters that you want some of your own. I’ve been advising other people for quite a while about raising their kids. I’d like to see where I’d make my mistakes”.

Shannon Smith and Wilson Breeden.
Co-Editors of the Parrish Crier
Student newspaper

Volume 3 , Number 7, Barranquilla, Colombia, May 30, 1967