Index
Scholarships
The Andrew C. Burns Memorial Scholarship
The Andrew C. Burns Memorial Scholarship was established by alumni, friends and family of Andrew C. Burns, Class of 1978.
The Andrew C. Burns Memorial Scholarship was established in 2021 by Hamilton College and Clinton friends and family of Andy Burns, Class of 1978, to honor his commitment to "town-gown" relations.
A native of Clinton, N.Y., where his family has lived since 1850, Andy was the twelfth member of his family across three generations to attend Hamilton College. After graduation, pursuing a career in finance, Andy moved to New York City where he met his wife, Julia Wilkerson. Andy and Julia had three children, Andrew Conover Jr., Owen Lewis, and Wilton Gray Burns. Andy’s later work took him and his family sequentially to Winston-Salem, N.C.; Richmond, Va.; Clinton; and Chapel Hill, N.C. In 2007, he founded Hamilton Point Investment Advisors in Chapel Hill.
Distance from Clinton was never a barrier to Andy's service to his alma mater. Andy and Julia regularly hosted meals for students on Alternative Spring Break, the College Choir on tour, and athletic teams on road trips. For many years he served as class president and regional chair, in addition to his involvement in the Alumni Council, Class of 1978 reunion committees, the Wall Street Association, and Career Center programs.
A “townie” who went to Hamilton College, Andy was dedicated to strengthening the bond between the College and Clinton. In the early 1990s, he was one of the founders of Kirkland Ventures, an effort that united community organizations and the College to pursue projects for the economic benefit of all. In 2001, he helped establish Hamilton’s Town-Gown Fund and served for many years on the committee which recommends grants from the fund to support the Clinton community.
In 2018, Andy organized the Thank You, Albert Prettyman celebration of the 100 years of hockey. That year, the Alumni Association recognized him with one of Hamilton's highest honors, the Jeff Little '71 Volunteer of the Year Award. Its citation underscored Andy's passion for hockey, noting that he "logged hundreds of hours researching hockey history and how it has linked College and community for a century."
The citation also commended Andy for "recruiting and managing scores of volunteers to pull off a weekend-long commemoration that ultimately sparked Clintonians and Hamiltonians alike to rally together to capture the national Kraft Hockeyville USA title." The Hockeyville win brought an NHL game and the Stanley Cup to town. The local newspaper headline captured what many were thinking, and what this memorial scholarship intends to say: “Thank you, Andy Burns”.
Please note: The named scholarships profiled on these pages are awarded as part of the College’s need-based financial aid packages. These funds help ensure the Hamilton Promise of keeping education affordable through meeting a student’s full demonstrated financial need.
Materials published here were diligently researched and written by students who strived for historical accuracy.
