Ernest W. Burgess (May 16, 1886–December 27, 1966) was an urban sociologist. He was born in Tilbury, Ontario, Canada. Burgess received his education at Kingfisher College in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. He did his graduate studies in sociology at the University of Chicago. In 1916, he returned to the University of Chicago, as a member of the . Burgess was hired as an urban sociologist at the University of Chicago. He was the 24th President of the American Sociological Association (ASA). He made the Burgess model to show how big Chicago will grow in 1923. The Burgess model is also called the Concentric zone model.