Ruth Helen Butterworth (21 August 1934 – 29 January 2020) was a New Zealand political scientist at the

University of Auckland , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...

from 1965 until her retirement.

Biography

Born in England, Butterworth studied at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

, from where she graduated

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

and, in 1959,

DPhil A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

. The title of her doctoral thesis was ''The structure and organisation of some Catholic lay organisations in Australia and Great Britain: a comparative study with special reference to the function of the organisations as social and political pressure groups''. Butterworth was appointed as a lecturer in political studies at the University of Auckland in 1965. She was a member of the Labour Party and in 1975 she was speculated by media as a likely contender for the Labour Party candidacy for the electorate following the retirement of

Hugh Watt Hugh Watt (19 March 1912 – 4 February 1980) was a New Zealand politician who was a Labour member of Parliament and the acting prime minister of New Zealand between 31 August and 6 September 1974, following the death of Prime Minister Norma ...

, but did not put herself forward. She also taught African studies and trade unionism. Her teaching influenced students who became leading politicians, including

Helen Clark Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...

and

Phil Goff Philip Bruce Goff (born 22 June 1953) is a New Zealand politician. He was a member of the New Zealand Parliament from 1981 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 2016. He served as leader of the Labour Party and leader of the Opposition between 11 No ...

. She was a regular contributor to ''

Zealandia Zealandia (pronounced ), also known as (Māori) or Tasmantis, is an almost entirely submerged mass of continental crust that subsided after breaking away from Gondwanaland 83–79 million years ago.Gurnis, M., Hall, C.E., and Lavier, L.L., ...

'', writing on topics including nuclear testing, the Vietnam war, and abortion. Between 1990 and 1991, Butterworth served as president of the

Association of University Staff of New Zealand The Association of University Staff of New Zealand (AUS) was a national trade union in New Zealand. At its peak, it represented 6500 workers employed in New Zealand universities. In 2009 it merged with the Association of Staff in Tertiary Educat ...

. In 1993, Butterworth was awarded the

New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal The New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal 1993 was established by Royal Warrant on 1 July 1993. It was created to commemorate Women's suffrage in New Zealand and to recognize those New Zealand and Commonwealth citizens who had made a significant ...

. In the 2000 Queen's Birthday Honours, she was appointed a

Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant (document), royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Monarchy of New Zealand, Queen of New Zealand, "for those ...

, for services to tertiary education. Butterworth died in Auckland on 29 January 2020.

References

External links

Photograph of Butterworth in 1968
Oettli, Max Christian, 1947– :Photographs of New Zealand scenes. Ref: 35mm-101977-F.

Alexander Turnbull Library The National Library of New Zealand ( mi, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa) is New Zealand's legal deposit library charged with the obligation to "enrich the cultural and economic life of New Zealand and its interchanges with other nations" (''Nat ...

, Wellington. {{DEFAULTSORT:Butterworth, Ruth 1934 births 2020 deaths Alumni of Nuffield College, Oxford English political scientists English emigrants to New Zealand New Zealand political scientists Academic staff of the University of Auckland Recipients of the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal 1993 Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit New Zealand women academics Women political scientists New Zealand Labour Party politicians