Thomas Walter Butcher (July 3, 1867 – July 14, 1947) was an American educator most notably for serving as president at what is now known as

Emporia State University Emporia State University (Emporia State or ESU) is a public university in Emporia, Kansas, United States. Established in March 1863 as the Kansas State Normal School, Emporia State is the third-oldest public university in the state of Kansas. Em ...

. Before serving as the Kansas State Normal School's president, Butcher served various state-level education administrator jobs.

Biography

Early life and education

Butcher was born to Boman Rilea Butcher and Adeline Vail in

Macomb, Illinois Macomb is a city in and the county seat of McDonough County, Illinois, United States. It is situated in western Illinois, southwest of Galesburg. The city is about southwest of Peoria and south of the Quad Cities. A special census held in 2 ...

. Butcher attended The

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...

(KU), where he later graduated in 1894. Butcher began his career in education as a principal of a couple of high schools in Oklahoma, and in 1904, Butcher received his master of arts from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. Two years after graduating from Harvard, Butcher became

Central State Normal School The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO or Central State) is a public university in Edmond, Oklahoma. It is the third largest university in Oklahoma, with more than 17,000 students and approximately 434 full-time and 400 adjunct faculty. Founde ...

's sixth president in

Edmond, Oklahoma Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area in the central part of the state. The population was 94,428 according to the 2020 United States Census, making it the fifth largest cit ...

, and served until 1908. After resigning from Central State in 1908, Butcher left for

Frederick William University Friedrich Wilhelm University (German: ''Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität'') may refer to: * Humboldt University of Berlin, called ''Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität'' from 1828 to 1949, and sometimes known in English as Frederick William University * ...

in Germany. In 1909 after a year in Germany, Butcher served as a superintendent in

Enid, Oklahoma Enid ( ) is the ninth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County. As of the 2020 census, the population was 51,308. Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, a ...

, from 1909 to 1913, and was later named Kansas State Normal's

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

in 1913.

KSN–Kansas State Teachers College presidency

In 1914, Butcher started a work study program, which would give students on-campus jobs to help them attend school. 1917 saw the completion of the administrative building, Plumb Hall. Albert Taylor Hall, named after the fifth president of KSN, Albert R. Taylor, is an auditorium located within the building. Under Butcher's administration, the Memorial Union was built in 1922, named to honor veterans of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Butcher also helped the Normal School transition a name change; the new name would Kansas State Teachers College to focus on teaching. In 1938, a new stadium, later named Francis G. Welch Stadium, opened, as well as a bell tower known today as Silent Joe. Butcher retired on June 30, 1943, as the longest serving president in the history of Emporia State University.

Personal life

Butcher united in marriage with Mary W. Peck on July 3, 1900, in

Wellington, Kansas Wellington is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 7,715. History 19th century Wellington was platted in 1871 and named for the Duke of Wellington. It w ...

, and had three children. On July 14, 1947, Butcher died in Emporia. Butcher Education Center, which houses the Sociology, Anthropology, and Crime and Delinquencies department, is named after him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Butcher, Thomas W Presidents of Emporia State University Presidents of the University of Central Oklahoma Harvard University alumni University of Kansas alumni People from Macomb, Illinois 1867 births 1947 deaths People from Emporia, Kansas People from Enid, Oklahoma