Hugh A. Butler
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Hugh Alfred Butler (February 28, 1878July 1, 1954) was an American Republican politician from
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...


Life and career

Hugh Butler was born on a farm near Missouri Valley, Iowa on February 28, 1878. He graduated from
Doane College Doane University is a private university in Crete, Nebraska. It has additional campuses in Lincoln and Omaha, as well as online programs. History Doane College was founded on July 11, 1872, by Thomas Doane, chief civil engineer for the Burling ...
at
Crete, Nebraska Crete is a city in Saline County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 7,099 at the 2020 census. History The railroad was extended to the area in 1870, bringing settlers. In 1871, two rival towns merged to form a new town, which was name ...
in 1900, where, in 1897, he founded the Alpha Omega Fraternity. Butler toiled as a construction engineer with the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington Route, the Burlington, or as the Q, it operated extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illin ...
from 1900 to 1908. He entered politics as a member of the city board of
Curtis, Nebraska Curtis is a city in Frontier County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 939 at the 2010 census. Curtis describes itself as "Nebraska's Easter City", and presents an annual pageant on Palm Sunday. The Nebraska College of Technical Agr ...
from 1908 to 1913 and as a member of the board of education of
Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...
. Meanwhile, from 1908 to 1940, Butler worked in flour-milling and in the grain business. Hugh Butler became a member of the
Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fu ...
in 1936 and served until 1940 when he was elected to the
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
. He was reelected twice, in 1946 and 1952. Butler served as the chairman of the Committee on Public Lands in the
Eightieth United States Congress The 80th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1947, ...
(1947 to 1949) and as the chairman of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs in the Eighty-third United States Congress. A steadfast opponent of statehood for the
Alaska Territory The Territory of Alaska or Alaska Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from August 24, 1912, until Alaska was granted statehood on January 3, 1959. The territory was previously Russian America, 1784–1867; the ...
during most of his career in the Senate, he changed his mind during the last few months of his life. Butler died in office on the night of July 1, 1954, following a stroke that had occurred earlier in the day. Butler and his Nebraska colleague, Senator Kenneth Wherry, are best known for an intense opposition to international activities by the government, including entry into World War II, the Cold War, and the Korea War. He reflected the isolationism of the large German-American element in Nebraska. He vigorously opposed any loans or aid to Europe, including the Marshall Plan. He did not believe that the Soviet Union threatened Nebraska's interest, and he strongly opposed the Truman Doctrine, and NATO. Whatever the issue, he could be counted on as a strong opponent of the
Presidency of Harry Truman Harry S. Truman's tenure as the 33rd president of the United States began on April 12, 1945, upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and ended on January 20, 1953. He had been vice president for only days. A Democrat from Missouri, he ran fo ...
. Bernard Lemelin, "Isolationist Voices in the Truman Era: Nebraska Senators Hugh Butler and Kenneth Wherry." ''Great Plains Quarterly'' 37.2 (2017): 83-109.
Robert B. Crosby Robert Berkey Crosby (March 26, 1911 – January 7, 2000) was an American United States Republican Party, Republican politician who served as the List of Governors of Nebraska, 27th governor of Nebraska from 1953 to 1955. Crosby was born in N ...
, governor of Nebraska at the time of Butler's death, appointed
Samuel Williams Reynolds Samuel Williams Reynolds (August 11, 1890March 20, 1988) was a Republican United States Senator from Nebraska. Biography Reynolds was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on August 11, 1890. In 1908, he engaged in the Omaha wholesale coal business. During ...
to fill his seat.


See also

*
List of United States Congress members who died in office (1950–99) There are several lists of United States Congress members who died in office. These include: * List of United States Congress members who died in office (1790–1899) *List of United States Congress members who died in office (1900–1949) *List o ...


References


Sources

# Bernard Lemelin, "Isolationist Voices in the Truman Era: Nebraska Senators Hugh Butler and Kenneth Wherry." ''Great Plains Quarterly'' 37.2 (2017): 83-109. # # * *


External links

* at
Nebraska State Historical Society History Nebraska, formerly the Nebraska State Historical Society is a Nebraska state agency, founded in 1878 to "encourage historical research and inquiry, spread historical information ... and to embrace alike aboriginal and modern history." I ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, Hugh Alfred 1878 births 1954 deaths People from Harrison County, Iowa Politicians from Omaha, Nebraska Republican Party United States senators from Nebraska Nebraska city council members School board members in Nebraska Nebraska Republicans American civil engineers Doane University alumni Old Right (United States) 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American engineers