Prominent Wadesboro scientist honored

WADESBORO — Nearing his 95th year of life, T.D. Burns received recognition as one of the nation’s top scientists for 2021.

Burns grew up on North Greene Street and graduated from Wadesboro High School in 1944.

It was when he found an eye-catching rock that he returned to his house with a new interest in science. He began collecting and expanding his interests in the field.

He never went to college. Instead, he read every book possible, educated himself and built his own laboratory in his basement.

With the help of his late wife Jean Whisnant, he opened America’s first all science retail hobby store in 1961, Science Hobbies, Inc., in Charlotte.

They sold the store in 1983 and then opened a second business which was another first of its kind.

Science & Nature Distributors was a wholesale distributing business that ran out of Matthews. The business had a 150-page catalog of science merchandise for the retail markets.

In just the first three years, Science & Nature Distributors had customers in all 50 states and three customers abroad.

In 1999 Burns sold that business to create Science Educational Products, where he developed and manufactured science-related products. These products where also sold and distributed around the country.

He designed and patented a fluorescent atom model with interchangeable parts. This creation provides a visual demonstration of the various movements of atoms. You may have noticed this contraption at the Wadesboro Rotary Planetarium and Science Center as many of his collections of minerals and fossils have been donated to the science center.

“My wife and I have accumulated so much of that material in our businesses,” Burns said. “As I’ve gotten older and I lost my wife, I wanted to the share that with the people of my hometown.”

Recently, Burns has donated a collection of fossils, neatly displayed in a tall glass case. He is working on writing a narration for a video that will be used during classes at the planetarium and for the schools of Anson County.

In 2016, the founder of the planetarium and other Wadesboro citizens nominated Burns as North Carolina’s Top Scientist. Planetarium Director Wendy Efird then presented Burns with a large trophy which read, “In honor of Anson County’s most famous scientist and philanthropist.”

Burns also received Marquis Who’s Who Lifetime Achievement award in 2019. This high honor recognizes individuals who achieved greatness in their industry and excelled in their field for at least 20 years.

Burns will now appear in the 2021 Marquis Who’s Who in America book. These books recognize the most accomplished individuals and innovators from across multiple fields.

“This will be the third time listed in Who’s Who,” Burns said. “It is nice to receive this recognition, but most of this stuff I feel so undeserving of. I owe about everything, every plaque that I have, every award I have made to my dear wife.”

Burns wrote over 30 books, 15 in-depth science papers and created astronomical observatory at his home.

“I’m so grateful for my life and my lifetime experiences,” Burns said.