Neil A. Butler facts for kids

Neil A. Butler (born 1927 or 1928 – died June 14, 1992) was an important American politician. He served as the mayor of Gainesville, Florida. He was the first African-American person to hold this office in Gainesville since the Reconstruction era.

Neil Butler's Life and Career

Early Life and Education

Neil Butler grew up in Orange Heights, Florida. At that time, the area was segregated, meaning Black and White people lived separately. He bravely served in combat during World War II.

After the war, he returned to the United States. He worked as a nurse at Emory University Hospital. While working, he also took classes at Morris Brown College. Later, he earned both a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in nursing. He got these degrees from the University of Florida. He also taught classes there.

Becoming a City Leader

On March 19, 1969, Neil Butler achieved something very important. He won an election to join the Gainesville City Commission. The City Commission is a group of people who help run the city. This was a big deal because most of Gainesville's population was White at the time.

In 1971, the City Commission chose him to be Gainesville's mayor. He became the first African-American mayor of Gainesville since Josiah T. Walls during the Reconstruction era.

His Time as Mayor

As mayor, Neil Butler worked hard to improve the city. He started a program to hire more Black firefighters and police officers. This helped make the city's workforce more diverse. He also made sure that many dirt roads in Black neighborhoods were paved.

Mayor Butler also created a Bi-Racial Committee. This committee helped improve relationships between different racial groups in the city. He also combined the city's different utility services into one single group. This made them easier to manage.

Facing Challenges and Returning to Service

In February 1972, Mayor Butler resigned from his position. This happened shortly before his term was supposed to end. A local newspaper, The Gainesville Sun, reported on a past issue from 1959. This issue involved a small mail problem when he lived in Atlanta.

After he resigned, former mayor T.E. "Ted" Williams finished the rest of his term. Soon after, the Florida Bureau of Pardons reviewed Neil Butler's case. They officially restored his civil rights.

Despite this past issue, the people of Gainesville still trusted him. In March 1972, they elected him back to the City Commission. He served during the terms of other mayors, Richard T. Jones and James G. Richardson.

Butler was thankful that people saw him as a good leader. He once said, "I had heard that some people were worried about what would happen if a black man became mayor, but I proved to them that I wouldn’t ruin the city." In 1974, the City Commission once again chose him to be mayor. He served until 1975.

Later Career and Legacy

After his time as mayor, Neil Butler stayed involved in Gainesville. He became the director of the city's utility system. He worked in this role until the 1980s.

Later, he moved to Newark, New Jersey. There, he worked at a Veterans Affairs nursing home and hospital. He eventually became the head psychiatric nurse at the hospital.

Neil Butler passed away on June 14, 1992. He died from a heart attack while attending a wedding in Detroit. He was a member of the Beta Pi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi, a fraternity. He was also a Methodist.