Michael Burns (historian)
| Michael Burns | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 30, 1947 Mineola, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Professor Actor (retired) |
| Nationality | American |
| Genre | History |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Topham Kennan |
| Children | Alexander |
Michael Burns (born December 30, 1947) is an American professor emeritus of history at Mount Holyoke College. He is also a former television and film actor, particularly known for his role as the teenager "Barnaby West" on the NBC and ABC television series Wagon Train from 1960 to 1965.
Burns was born in Mineola, New York. He graduated summa cum laude in 1976 from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a B.A. and earned his M.A. in European history at the same institution. He entered Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1977, and earned his Ph.D. in Modern European history.
Burns was a well-known child actor, starring on the television program Wagon Train, as orphaned "Barnaby West" during seasons 4-8. He worked on the series with John McIntire, Robert Horton, Robert Fuller, Denny Scott Miller, Terry Wilson, and Frank McGrath. In 1967, Burns worked with Audie Murphy in western film, "40 Guns to Apache Pass".
Burns also co-starred with Glenn Corbett, Ted Bessell, and Randy Boone in a 19-episode NBC comedy/drama It's a Man's World in the 1962–1963 season. Burns played 14-year-old Howie Macauley, who lives on a houseboat called the Elephant on the Ohio River with his older brother Wes, played by Corbett. Bessell and Boone were the two other young men living with them. The program was hailed by its viewers and critics for its portrayal of restless youth but was quickly cancelled because of low Nielsen ratings.
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