Franklin L. Burns School of Real Estate & Construction Management
Burns School History
Our History
The Franklin L. Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management was founded in 1938 as the Building Industry and Real Estate (BIRE Program. In 1947 the program was renamed the Department of Real Estate and Construction Management (RECM). On May 6, 1997, the program was officially named the Franklin L. Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management.
Offering undergraduate, graduate degree and executive master's degree programs, the Franklin L. Burns School is one of the largest schools within the Daniels College of Business and the only school of its kind in the nation.
We're proud of our long legacy at the forefront of the real estate and construction management industries.
Our Namesake
Our school is named after Franklin Lane Burns, who was acclaimed as Denver's premier home builder in the 1940s and 1950s.
Burns was born in Denver on August 1, 1914. He graduated from East High School and attended the University of Southern California and the University of Denver as a premed student. In 1940 he took over Burns Realty and Trust (established in 1899) after the death of his uncle.
A visionary, Franklin Burns was one of the first builders to bring affordable housing to lower-income families. He built houses for returning WWII veterans whose prices were in line with tight budgets. He offered FHA financing. And he stood behind the quality of his product with a written construction warranty.
In 1997 Burns personally donated five million dollars to the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver to establish the Franklin L. Burn School of Real Estate and Construction Management. Franklin Burns passed away on August 10, 1998--83 years, almost to the day of when he was born.
Frank Burns' wife, Joy Burns, has continued the legacy of support for the Burns School since her husband's death. She has also served the University as former Head of the DU Board of Trustees and currently remains an active member.
Each year at the Burns School Women of Enterprise (WE) Forum, the "Joy S. Burns Woman of Enterprise Award" is given out to
a professional woman in the real estate or construction industry who has reflected the values of contributing to her industry
and her community, as well as a history of helping women progress professionally within that industry.
