Remembering Dr. James Butler - Lakewood Historical Society

J ASeptember
N U A R Y 22013
009
*The Lakewood
Historical Society
e s t a b l i s h e d
1 9 5 2
James Newton Butler
March 27, 1934 - October 22, 2012
Remembering Dr. James Butler
by Amanda Francazio, Curator
The Lakewood Historical Society was very fortunate to
have the late Dr. James Butler as one of its most loyal patrons.
“Jim” was the oldest son of society founder, local historian
and author, Margaret Manor Butler. He remained interested
and supportive of the mission of the society throughout his
life. Sadly, at the age of 78, he passed away in his home in
Queensbury, New York on October 22, 2012.
In Jim’s final years, he and his wife Rosalind donated his
mother’s large collection of historical research papers, family
photos and papers to the society. Included in his donation was
a collection of home movies, carefully reproduced in digital
format for the society by his grandson. This large collection of
archives and movies is an important addition to the society’s
collection as it gives historical views into the everyday life of a
typical Lakewood family. Equally important are the historical
research files of Margaret Manor Butler which contain much
information related to Lakewood’s early history. In addition
to his mother’s papers, he donated the papers of his father
Clyde, a veteran of both World Wars, and a professional aerial
photographer. As I processed this large collection of Butler
family memorabilia and corresponded with Jim, it was evident
that he was a remarkable person and part of a remarkable
Lakewood family.
Jim, along with his
younger brother Jerry,
attended the Lakewood
schools and had many
interests. A chemistry
set given to him at the
age of eight influenced
Jim in his pursuit of a
career in science. In his
Lakewood family home
on Edgewater, he could
often be found in his
basement chemistry
lab. Friend and fellow
Lakewood High School
student, John Hansen,
Edgewater Chemistry Lab
tells a story of Margaret
Butler accidentally
damaging the sewer system on their street. She was cleaning
Jim’s lab one day and unknowingly flushed one of his chemicals
down the toilet, which resulted in a small explosion!
A graduate from
Lakewood High in
1951, he won a four-year
Westinghouse Science
Scholarship to Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute and
there earned his Bachelor
of Science in Chemistry
and Mathematics. He
then earned his Doctorate
in Chemical Physics from
Harvard University. He
worked as an Assistant
Professor of Chemistry at
the University of British
Columbia and was head
of the Physical Chemistry
Westinghouse Science
Department of Tyco
Talent Search Winner
Laboratories in Boston.
In 1 9 7 1 h e w a s
elected to a full professorship at Harvard and remained there
for over thirty years, where he was much loved by his students.
He was awarded numerous honors over the years and was
sought after for his expertise as a consultant. He was best
known for his 1964 book,
Ionic Equilibrium and for
his work on pelagic tar in
the North Atlantic Ocean
and Sargasso Sea.
While growing up in
Lakewood, both Butler
boys had a reputation for
adventure. Brother Jerry
saved his money to build
boats and with Jim’s help
in the summer, he built
his first boat, a nine-footer
named Wee Baby. They
had fine times cruising
along the lake shore. While
at Rensselaer Polytechnic
Harvard Professor
University, Jim was elected
president of the Outing Club
and spent a month in the
summer with college friends
climbing some of the high
peaks in the Rocky and Grand
Teton Mountains.
Lakewood friend, Ann
Bahnsen Irish (LHS, 1952)
recalls her memories of Jim,
"As for Jim Butler, yes, I have
memories. For example, he
taught a small group of us
Wee Baby
how to do rock climbing -- we
went to Whipps' Ledges once
every week during the summer after Jim came back from
his freshman year at RPI. Can you imagine rock climbing
in northern Ohio? We would attract crowds below. And of
course one of our group would walk around to get to the top
to belay the climbers."
Ann Bahnsen Irish
Jim retired from Harvard in 2000. He and his wife
moved to Queensbury, N.Y. to live near Lake George and to
be near their grandchildren. He was a gifted folksinger and
guitarist and could remember the words to thousands of folk
songs and ballads. Influenced by his father Clyde, he became
a talented photographer. Among the photos in the recently
donated Butler collection are wonderful photos and home
movies created by
Jim as a youth.
H e h a s b e e n
n o m i n a t e d
to the 2013
Lakewood High
School Alumni
Hall of Fame by
Lakewood friend,
John Hansen.
Preparations are
being made for his
Grand Teton Mountains
induction this fall.
Gerald Butler As
a Lakewood youth
“Jerry” was an artist,
loved architecture
and called himself
a builder. He built
model homes of
balsa wood and built
three boats in his
garage, including an
eight-foot dinghy
and a sixteen-foot
outboard.
He
worked as a deckhand
on a lake freighter
when a teenager,
graduated from
L a k e w o o d Hi g h
School in 1956 and
went scuba diving
in the Caribbean
as a young college
student. Most
Jim at Whipps’ Ledges
likely influenced
b y h i s m o t h e r’s
love of history, he received
a scholarship to Princeton
University and earned a degree
in history. He continued
his graduate studies at Case
Western Reserve University
and earned an MA in both
History and Art History.
In the 1960s he worked
as a social studies teacher
at Lakewood High School
and was honored for his
role in developing the
nationally recognized course
“Civilization and Man”
and for introducing new
teaching techniques in the
classroom. He later worked
at the Cleveland Museum
of Art and then became a
Jim’s Brother "Jerry"
respected art dealer, collector
Gerald Butler
Jim, 1950s
and scholar. He passed away in 1988 suddenly, at the age of
fifty, and was survived by wife Ruth and brother Jim. He was
known by his colleagues in the art world as a humble and
wonderful person.
Sources: The Post Star
Margaret Manor Butler Collection
The Butler Family; Margaret, Jerry, Jim & Clyde