Professor and Reverend Almon W. Burr, educator, minister and professor of Pedagogy, who claimed that there was science in teaching, became associated with Beloit College in 1884, serving countless youth and imbuing them with enthusiasm in the teaching profession.

President of the college Irving Maurer commented in 1931 that as a former student, “Papa” Burr possessed spirit that was both friendly and kind. He was one who could envision the feeble gleam in a dull student and transform him so that victory resulted. His was the power to ignite the mind of any student. A master teacher and an enthusiastic professor, Mr. Burr was also the author of a number of books dealing with the science and art of proper instruction. His skill made lasting impressions on the hundreds of adolescents who attended the College Academy in its formative years.

In recognition of his excellence as a teacher, after his retirement the teacher training program was added to the college curriculum and the Burr Training School was founded in what is now referred to as Scoville Hall. Here the students practiced teaching with youngsters recruited from the top of their elementary classes. This program was at the instigation of President Maurer in 1925 and continued until 1940. Professor Burr, born before statehood in 1845, lived and remained active in mind and spirit until his death in 1935 at the age of ninety.