His professors eventually convinced him to remain the school; as a senior, he served as president of the Student Association.
[7][3] Burks briefly worked for Exxon Corporation in Houston, Texas before returning to Harding in 1967 to serve as the Director of Placement and to teach business.
[9] After beginning the role in May 1987,[3] Burks was officially inaugurated as President of Harding University on September 18, 1987.
John Simmons, chairman of the Board of Trustees, led the committee to find Burks' successor, who was announced to be Bruce McLarty on November 1, 2012.
[12] On October 27, 2021, Harding's Board of Trustees announced that McLarty's permanent successor would be Michael D. Williams, who has served as president of Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama since 2015.