William “Bill” Cunningham Burns was co-captain of the Howard Payne track team his junior and senior year as a distance and relay runner. The Brownwood High graduate was co-captain of the Yellow Jacket track team his junior and senior year. Burns once held the Texas Conference record in the mile run. He was president of his senior class and the H-Club for lettermen before graduating in 1952 with a degree in accounting. Burns also served in the U.S. Army and worked as an auditor at the Army Air Force Exchange Service in Dallas until his retirement. He died in 2017.