Share Burl Sawyers

Burl Allan Sawyers (March 29, 1912-August 14, 2002) served eight and a half years as West Virginia road commissioner, and later served prison time for corruption in the execution of his duties. He was born at Smoot in Greenbrier County, and educated as an engineer. He lived most of his life in Charleston, where he once ran unsuccessfully for sheriff of Kanawha County.

Sawyers was first appointed state road commissioner on July 1, 1955, by Governor William Casey Marland, after serving as an administrative assistant to Marland. He lost the job February 1, 1957, when Governor Cecil Underwood, a Republican, named a member of his own party to the post. Sawyers was reappointed four years later by Democrat Wally Barron. Sawyers resigned as commissioner in 1965 when Governor Hulett Smith suspended him because of federal indictments against Sawyers, Governor Barron, Deputy State Road Commissioner Vincent J. Johnkoski, Finance and Administration Commissioner Truman Gore Gore, longtime Barron friend Bonn Brown of Elkins, and Clarksburg auto dealer Fred Schroath. All were charged with conspiracy to take kickbacks and rigging state contracts. Barron was acquitted, but Sawyers entered a guilty plea on August 31, 1965, and was sentenced to two years in federal prison and fined $5,000. Sawyers died in Putnam County.

This Article was written by Tom D. Miller

Last Revised on October 29, 2010