Robert P. Butler
Robert P. Butler | |
|---|---|
| United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut | |
| In office 1934–1945 | |
| President | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | George H. Cohen |
| Succeeded by | Adrian W. Maher |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Paul Butler December 25, 1883 Prairieville, Michigan |
| Died | February 8, 1971 (aged 86) Hartford, Connecticut |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Alma mater | Cornell University (B.A., 1905) Trinity College (Connecticut) (M.A., 1906) |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Robert Paul Butler (December 25, 1883 – February 8, 1971) was an American attorney who served as the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Robert P. Butler was born in Prairieville, Michigan, on Christmas 1883. [2]He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University in 1905 and earned a Master of Arts from Trinity College in 1906. Rather than attending a formal law school, Butler learnt law through reading the law and was admitted to the Connecticut Bar in 1915 and later to the federal courts.
Legal career
[edit]He was appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to serve as United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut in 1934 a position he held until 1945. He handled significant cases during his tenure, including legal issues arising from World War II and the 1944 Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus fire, which killed 168 people.[3] Butler chaired a committee that managed the arbitration of over $1 million in claims related to the fire, earning praise for his ethical handling of the case. Following his federal service, he returned to private practice as a senior partner at Butler, Volpe & Sacco and served as president of the Hartford County Bar Association in 1948.[4]
Personal life
[edit]Butler was a resident of West Hartford, Connecticut, where he lived for over 65 years. He was actively involved in the community, including being a member of the Asylum Hill Congregational Church. Butler was also a patron of the arts, participating in a choral club and writing music and theater critiques for the Hartford Courant.[2]
Death and legacy
[edit]Robert P. Butler died on February 8, 1971, at the age of 87 in his home in West Hartford.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ "About the Office". www.justice.gov. March 18, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ a b "Hartford Bar Association Presidents" (PDF).
- ^ "The Circus Fire". HCBA. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ a b "ROBERT BUTLER, 87, FEDERAL ATTORNEY". The New York Times. February 9, 1971. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 25, 2024.