Paul Butler (polo)

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Paul Butler
Paul Butler & family Slim Aarons.jpg
Paul Butler with family, Palm Beach by Slim Aarons
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born(1892-06-23)June 23, 1892
Chicago, Illinois
DiedJune 24, 1981(1981-06-24) (aged 90)
Oak Brook
EducationUniversity of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
OccupationHeir and businessman
Spouse(s)Sarah Anne Josephine Rooney
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportPolo
Achievements and titles
National finals6

Paul Butler (1892–1981) was an American heir, businessman and polo player.[1][2][3][4]

Biography[]

Early life[]

Paul Butler was born on June 23, 1892 in Chicago, Illinois.[2] He is a descendant of the Butler family of Ireland, headed by the Duke of Ormond.[3] In 1654, his ancestor William Butler fled the British Isles because of Oliver Cromwell and settled in Ipswich, Massachusetts.[3] His grandfather, Julius Butler, was the founder of the Butler Paper Company in Chicago in 1841.[2][4] He also had a brother named Julius.[2] He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.[2] He served as a Lieutenant during the First World War.[2]

Business[]

He served as President of his family business, the Butler Paper Company, from 1930 to 1965.[2] By then, the company had diversified in paper, real estate and development.[2] From 1960 to 1965, he served as President of the Nekoosa-Edwards Paper Company.[2] He was a founder of Oak Brook, Illinois, including the Bank of Oak Brook and the Oak Brook Public Utilities Company.[2] He also founded the Butler National Golf Club.[2] In 1945, he founded the Butler Aviation Corporation, the largest aviation company in the United States.[2]

He was a member of the General Society of Colonial Wars, the Chicago Historical Society, the Chicago Art Institute and the Chicago Museum of Natural History.[2]

Polo[]

He won six U.S. Open Polo Championships and four Butler Handicap titles.[1]

On October 31, 1924, he chartered the Oak Brook Polo Club with Gene Gordon Culver and J. W. Butler.[5] By December 19, 1924, it was affiliated with the United States Polo Association (USPA).[5] He served on the Board of Governors of the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club.[2] He also served for the USPA.[1] He was a member of the Meadowbrook Polo Club.[2]

He was inducted in the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame on March 3, 1995.[1]

Personal life[]

He was married three times, to Sarah Anne Josephine Rooney,[6] Marjorie von Stresenreuter (later Mrs William Dunaway) and Jean Buckley.[2] His sons were Norman Frank Butler, also a polo player;[2] Michael Butler, a theatrical producer and businessman; and .[2][4] He also had a daughter, Jorie Butler Kent.

Death[]

Butler was killed on June 24, 1981, one day after his 89th birthday, when he was struck by a car in front of his home in Oak Brook.[7] Butler had walked out in front of his home at 1000 Oak Brook Road, at dusk, to take photographs. He was reportedly standing in the middle of the street when he was hit by a driver [8] At the time, his net worth was estimated at "between $50 million and $125 million".[9]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d "Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame, Paul Butler's biography". Archived from the original on 2012-02-16. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Alex Webbe, Paul Butler Was a Pioneer of Polo, Palm Beach Daily News, June 28, 1981
  3. ^ a b c Bess Winakor, The Butlers: Old Family Traces Roots From Colonies to PB Polo, Palm Beach Daily News, January 2, 1983
  4. ^ a b c Bruce Buursma, Michael Butler: From Polo Field To Chapter 11, The Chicago Tribune, September 26, 1990
  5. ^ a b Horace Laffaye, Polo in the United States: A History, Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co., 2011, p. 93
  6. ^ Who's Who, What's What and Where in Ireland, Zircon Publishing, 1973, p. 45
  7. ^ "Paul Butler, 89, golf patron", Obituary in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 27, 1981, p8
  8. ^ "Millionaire Paul Butler killed by car", by Storer Rowley and Andy Knott, Chicago Tribune, June 25, 1981, p1
  9. ^ "Paul Butler Dead at 89; Top Aviation Executive", New York Times, June 26, 1981, pA-17
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