Glendon P. Burton was born in Elizabeth, West Virginia, the son of the late Friend and Dora F. Morehead Burton. He worked as an area soil conservationist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He was a member and past master of Wirt Lodge A.F. and A.M. of Elizabeth, and a member of the Scottish Rite Bodies and Nemesis Shrine of Parkersburg and the Parkersburg Lions Club. Mr. Burton also was a member of the First Baptist Church, and he served on several church boards and enjoyed teaching the Men's Bible Class for a number of years.

The Glendon P. Burton Memorial Conservation Scholarship Fund was established in 1970 in memory of Mr. Burton. The fund provides scholarship assistance to young people, teachers, and others who wish to attend the West Virginia Conservation Camp.