The Emblem of the Burleson Family Association

The Burleson Family Association emblem has been a recognized and much-loved symbol of BFA since it was initially designed in 1985 by John J. "Jack" Burleson of Johnson City, Tennessee.

Jack created it for the 1985 Centennial Reunion in Austin, Texas, and all sales of the emblem’s prints at that reunion and in following years have been donated to BFA. As a dedicated member, he supported BFA in other ways, including designing the Centennial Attendance Certificate distributed to attendees.

David A. Burleson, one of the founders of BFA, gave a description of the meaning and symbolism as interpreted by Jack Burleson.

The Coat of Arms was adapted from Sir Bernard Burke's 1884 book, The General Armory of England, Ireland, and Wales: Comprising a Registry of Armorial Bearings from the Earliest to the Present Time. On page 1487, an entry describes a Coat of Arms for the "Burlinson" family. Here is its interpretation:

Two wavy horizontal lines, with a field of red, divide the shield. The shield's chief, or upper part, is green, charged with a gold lion standing in profile. The shield's base, or lower part, is divided equally by a perpendicular line. Facing the shield, the left side of the base is white and blue with a design resembling flowers, opposing each other in rows. The base's right side has a black field charged with three open white roses. Above the shield, the helmet, with the visor open, is in a slight profile. The wreath atop the helmet is crested by a half lion, in profile, holding in its paws an open, white rose with green leaves.

It should be noted the coat of arms for the "Burlinson" family, as reported in Burke’s book, is not official because the book is not recognized as a legitimate source for heraldry. No references are given to the source of information or the date when the arms were in use. The recognized authority for Armorial Bearings is the College of Arms, which in 1967 was located on Queen Victoria Street, London, England. The head of the college carries the title "Chester Herald." In 1967, Mr. Walter J. Verco served as Chester Herald. While in office, he authorized a thorough search of the College records and reported no registration of an Arms and Crest for the Burleson family.

No matter, the distinctive and colorful emblem has been used for many years in many publications, programs, bulletins, and other media and has represented the Burleson Family Association well.

In 2024, the Burleson Family Association created a new, unique logo for our website, using the old watercolor drawing as its inspiration. The added Latin motto, Memento Radices Tuas, is meaningful because the phrase translates as “Remember your Roots.”