LIVE! FROM THE LIBRARY
Hosts Biographer of Local Pioneer Robert Noble Burgess By Susan Moon, Walnut Creek Library Foundation
L
ive! from the Library will host local author Jim Moore, author of The Life of Robert Noble Burgess, on Wednesday, February 12, 7:00-8:30 p.m., in the Oak View Room at the Walnut Creek Library. Moore’s book, The Life of Robert Noble Burgess, chronicles the remarkable career of a businessman whose vision and skill helped transform Contra Costa County from a sleepy farming and ranching community into the vibrant commercial and cultural hub that it is today. Robert Noble “R.N.” Burgess, who happens to be Moore’s maternal grandfather, rose rapidly in his chosen fields of agriculture, real estate and finance in the early years of the 20th century, then suffered a dramatic collapse of his businesses and personal influence from which he never fully recovered. Along the way, he led the development of hundreds of acres of land in Contra Costa, including the Diablo Country Club and the Lakewood district of Walnut Creek, among many other projects. In Moore’s insightful and meticulously researched account, R.N emerges as a
brilliant, resourceful and sometimes ruthless entrepreneur fully engaged with the economic, political and cultural affairs of his era. Moore is a resident of Walnut Creek and a retired commercial real estate executive. His fortyfive-year professional career included employment at Crown Zellerbach, Xerox, Cushman & Wakefield and Bedford Property Investors. He has a BA in History from UC Berkeley, an MBA from The University of San Francisco, and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Golden Gate University. He was born in San Francisco, raised in Walnut Creek, and served as an officer in the Marine Corps. This free program is sponsored by the Walnut Creek Library Foundation and is open to the public. Reservations can be made online at www.wclibrary.org/live or by phone at 925.935.5395. Live! from the Library, produced by the Walnut Creek Library Foundation, features free public lectures, literary events, and cultural programs at the Walnut Creek and Ygnacio Valley libraries. Program sponsors are Walnut Creek Historical Society, East Bay Times, and Minuteman Press Lafayette. 2020 will be a banner year for Walnut Creek’s libraries as each celebrates a milestone: the 10th anniversary of the Walnut Creek Library, and the 45th anniversary of the Ygnacio Valley Library. The Walnut Creek Library Foundation is planning a special community celebration later this year. For more information about Walnut Creek Library Foundation programs, please visit www.wclibrary.org or call 925.935.5395.
Author James R. Moore, Jr. will speak about his biography on Robert Noble Burgess on Feb. 12.
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