Ovid Butler (February 7, 1801 – July 12, 1881) was an American attorney,

newspaper publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

, and university founder from the state of

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

Butler University Butler University is a private university in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university has over 60 major academic fields of study in six colleges: the Lacy School of Business, College of Communic ...

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

, is named after him.

Personal life

Butler was born in

Augusta, New York Augusta is a town in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 2,020 at the 2010 census. The Town of Augusta is in the southwestern part of Oneida County. History Augusta was settled in 1793 by a man named Gunn, whose son, Pete ...

, on February 7, 1801. His father, Chancey Butler, moved the family west to

Jennings County, Indiana Jennings County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 27,613. The county seat is Vernon. History Jennings County was formed in 1817. It was named for the first Governor of Indiana and a nine-term con ...

, in 1817. The elder Butler became one of the first

Restoration Movement The Restoration Movement (also known as the American Restoration Movement or the Stone–Campbell Movement, and pejoratively as Campbellism) is a Christian movement that began on the United States frontier during the Second Great Awakening (179 ...

Stone In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...

Campbell Campbell may refer to: People Surname * Campbell (surname), includes a list of people with surname Campbell Given name * Campbell Brown (footballer), an Australian rules footballer * Campbell Brown (journalist) (born 1968), American television ne ...

Movement preachers in Indiana. Butler studied law and practiced as an attorney in

Shelbyville, Indiana Shelbyville is a city in Addison Township, Shelby County, in the U.S. state of Indiana and is the county seat. The population was 20,067 as of the 2020 census. History In 1818, the land that would become Shelbyville was ceded to the Un ...

, from 1825-1836. He was also an

was dedicated to him in 1855. During this time he married Cordelia Cole. With Cordelia, Butler had three children. In 1836, the entire family moved to

. Soon after, Butler's wife, Cordelia, died in 1838. He then married Elizabeth A. Elgin, daughter of Thomas McOuat. Elgin and Butler had seven children together, one of which died in infancy. Butler died on July 12, 1881, in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is buried in the Crown Hill Cemetery. His widow Elizabeth died a year later in 1882 at the age of 63.

Career

In Indianapolis, Butler established a law firm with partners Calvin Fletcher, Simon Yandes and future Indianapolis mayor,

Horatio C. Newcomb Horatio C. Newcomb (December 20, 1821—May 23, 1882) was an attorney and judge from Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. He also served as the second mayor of Indianapolis. Early life Newcomb was born in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, Wellsboro, Ti ...

. He became interested and active in political and social issues. Butler held a firm opposition to slavery on moral and religious grounds, which was reflected in his creation of the political, abolitionist newspaper ''Free Soil Banner'' in 1849. That same year he gave up his law practice and sought early retirement due to poor health.

Butler University

As a member of the

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. The denomination started with the Restoration Movement during the Second Great Awakening, first existing during the 19th ...

, Butler sought to establish a university for that Christian movement. On January 15, 1850, the

Indiana General Assembly The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate. ...

approved the university. On November 1, 1855, the North Western Christian University opened. Ovid Butler served as the head of the Board of Directors until 1871. He became Chancellor of the University and in 1877, the school became

. Butler is also the namesake of the Ovid Butler Society, a recognition society for Butler University's most generous donors.

Recreation

Butler's summer months were spent at Indiana's

Lake Wawasee Lake Wawasee, formerly Turkey Lake, is a natural lake southeast of Syracuse in Kosciusko County, Indiana, United States. It is the largest natural lake wholly contained within Indiana. It is located just east of Indiana State Road 13. History Lak ...

where he had a residence in the vicinity of

Vawter Park Village Vawter Park is an unincorporated area of shoreline and nearby neighborhoods located on the south shore of Lake Wawasee, Indiana, United States. History Vawter Park is located near N. Southshore Drive and E. Vawter Park Road. It was plotted in 1887 ...

. Lilly, Eli. Early Wawasee Days. Indianapolis: Studio Press Inc., 1960.

References

External links

The Restoration Movement: Ovid Butler
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, Ovid 1801 births 1881 deaths 19th-century American lawyers Activists from New York (state) American abolitionists American Disciples of Christ Burials at Crown Hill Cemetery Butler University faculty Christian abolitionists Founders of universities Indiana Democrats Indiana Free Soilers Indiana lawyers Indiana Republicans Members of the Indiana House of Representatives People from Augusta, New York People from Indianapolis People from Jennings County, Indiana