W.L. Burns died of a heart attack in the summer of 1966. John Brandstetter served as the interim principal until Kenneth Gupton was appointed principal in 1967. In memory of Burns, Westbury established the W.L. Burns Award to honor academic excellence. Each May the students deemed best by each department are honored in an impressive formal assembly. Award winners receive the distinctive W.L. Burns Award trophy, modeled from the permanent trophy situated in the foyer outside the auditorium. The symbolism of the trophy "darkness into light...ignorance into learning..." and the noble words of its inscription, "Esse quam videre," meaning "to be, rather than to seem" emphasize the essence of Westbury academic achievement.