[1][2] Winifred Burks-Houck was born on August 20, 1950, in Anniston, Alabama, the daughter of Mary Emma Goodson-Burks and Matthew Burks.
[3] She served in various leadership roles during her time in alumnae chapter, holding positions as the president from 1987 – 1989, vice-president and chair of fundraising.
[3][4] In honor of her scientific work, Burks-Houck was named a Project Cherish Honoree at Delta Sigma Theta's 43rd annual national convention.
[3] Starting in 1984, she worked for the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter, running development events for both professional and educational audiences.
[2] She worked to modernize the organization's computer systems and established new scholarships and she is credited with doubling the number of professional and student chapters.