William Morgan Butler (January 29, 1861March 29, 1937) was a lawyer and legislator for the State of

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

, and a

United States Senator 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 po ...

Biography

Butler was born in

New Bedford, Massachusetts New Bedford (Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American p ...

, where he attended the public school and studied law. He was admitted to the State bar in 1883. After graduating from the law department of

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original cam ...

in 1884, he practiced law in New Bedford until 1895. He was a member of the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...

from 1890 to 1891, and a member of the

Massachusetts Senate The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the st ...

from 1892 to 1895, serving as its

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 ...

in 1894 and 1895. Butler moved to Boston in 1895, and continued the practice of law until 1912, when he engaged in the manufacture of

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...

goods. He was a member of the commission to revise the statutes of Massachusetts from 1896 to 1900, and was chairman 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 ...

from 1924 to 1928. On November 13, 1924, Butler was appointed as a Republican 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 po ...

to fill the vacancy caused by the death of

Henry Cabot Lodge Henry Cabot Lodge (May 12, 1850 November 9, 1924) was an American Republican politician, historian, and statesman from Massachusetts. He served in the United States Senate from 1893 to 1924 and is best known for his positions on foreign polic ...

, and served from November 13, 1924, to December 6, 1926, when a successor was elected. His bid for election to fill the vacancy was unsuccessful. Butler served as chairman of the Committee on Patents in the

69th Congress The 69th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1925, ...

, and then resumed his manufacturing interests. He thereafter resided in Boston. In 1932, Butler sought to return to the Republican National Committee, but was defeated by John Richardson by a vote of 18 to 15. Butler died on March 29, 1937, and was interred in

Forest Hills Cemetery Forest Hills Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery, greenspace, arboretum and sculpture garden located in the Forest Hills section of the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery was established in 1848 as a publ ...

Sources

External links

1927 ''Time'' cover featuring Butler

, - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, William Morgan 1861 births 1937 deaths 19th-century American politicians 20th-century American politicians Boston University School of Law alumni Lawyers from Boston Republican Party Massachusetts state senators Republican Party members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Politicians from Boston Politicians from New Bedford, Massachusetts Presidents of the Massachusetts Senate Republican National Committee chairs Republican Party United States senators from Massachusetts

Biography

See also

Sources

External links