Dare County and Hatteras Island Babe Ruth Baseball will host a ceremony on Saturday, April 17 at 1 p.m. to dedicate the ball field in Buxton to Maurice Lennon “Dick” Burrus. All are invited to attend.
Burrus, born in Hatteras Village in 1898, was a local baseball player who played in the major leagues. He and his parents, Captain Ethelbert Dozier Burrus and Achsah Williams Burrus, lived in a home on the Slash behind Hatteras Methodist Church.Burrus played professional baseball for six years between the years of 1919 and 1929 for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Braves. After his time in baseball, Burrus returned to Hatteras Island, became a successful businessman and served as a County Commissioner from 1948 to 1950. Burrus died in 1972.
His descendents and family members, still active in the community, will attend the ceremony which will be led by Allen Burrus, Vice Chairman of the Dare County Board of Commissioners and Hatteras Island Babe Ruth Baseball organizers, including Rusty Wilkinson, Kathy Tawes, Jaki Gray, and Johnny Conner.
The ceremony was planned to be held in conjunction with the opening day ceremony for the Hatteras Island Babe Ruth Baseball season.
The field, which will be referred to as Burrus Field following the dedication, is located next to the fire house in Buxton at 47059 Highway 12.
A community cookout and Pitch, Hit and Run contest will follow the ceremony. For more information, call Dare County Parks and Recreation at 475-5650.