Nicholas Murray Butler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nicholas Butler
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| 12th President of Columbia University | |
| In office 1902–1945 |
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| Preceded by | Seth Low |
| Succeeded by | Frank D. Fackenthal (Acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 2, 1862 Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | December 7, 1947 (aged 85) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses | Susanna Edwards Schuyler Kate La Montagne |
| Education | Columbia University (BA, MA, PhD) |
| Signature |  |
Nicholas Murray Butler (born April 2, 1862 – died December 7, 1947) was an important American thinker, diplomat, and teacher. He was the president of Columbia University for a very long time. He also led the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, an organization that works for world peace.
Butler even won the Nobel Peace Prize. He was so well-known that The New York Times newspaper used to print his Christmas message to the country every year.
Contents
Early Life and Schooling
Nicholas Murray Butler was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey. His parents were Mary and Henry Butler. He went to Columbia College, which later became Columbia University.
He earned his first degree in 1882, his master's degree in 1883, and his doctorate in 1884. His many achievements led President Theodore Roosevelt to call him "Nicholas Miraculous."
In 1885, Butler studied in Paris and Berlin. There, he became good friends with Elihu Root, who later became Secretary of State. Through Root, he also met Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft.
In the fall of 1885, Butler started working in Columbia's philosophy department. In 1887, he helped start the New York School for the Training of Teachers. This school later joined Columbia University and became Teachers College, Columbia University.
From 1890 to 1891, Butler taught at Johns Hopkins University. In the 1890s, he also worked on the New Jersey Board of Education. He helped create the College Entrance Examination Board, which is still important for college admissions today.
Leading Columbia University
In 1901, Nicholas Butler became the acting president of Columbia University. In 1902, he officially became its president. President Theodore Roosevelt was there for his special ceremony.
Butler was president of Columbia for 43 years, which is the longest time anyone has held that job. He retired in 1945. As president, Butler greatly expanded the campus. He added many new buildings, schools, and departments.
One big addition was the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. This was the first academic medical center in the world. It combined a hospital with a university for teaching and research.
In 1919, Butler changed the way students were admitted to Columbia. This led to fewer students from New York City being accepted.
In 1937, he became an honorary member of the New York Society of the Cincinnati.
In 1941, the jury for the Pulitzer Prize in fiction chose For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway. However, Butler, who was in charge of the Pulitzer board, did not like the book. He convinced the board not to give the prize to any novel that year.
During his life, Columbia named its philosophy library after him. After he passed away, the main academic library was renamed Butler Library in his honor. A building for professors and a major philosophy award were also named after him.
Political Activities
Nicholas Butler was a delegate at every Republican National Convention from 1888 to 1936. These conventions are where political parties choose their candidates for president.
In 1912, the Vice President, James S. Sherman, died just eight days before the presidential election. Butler was chosen to receive the electoral votes that Sherman would have gotten. The Republican team only won 8 electoral votes that year.
In 1916, Butler tried to get Elihu Root to be the Republican presidential candidate. Butler also tried to become the candidate himself in 1920, but he was not successful.
Butler thought that Prohibition (when alcohol was illegal) was a bad idea for the country. He worked hard to help end Prohibition, which happened in 1933.
Working for World Peace
Butler was a strong supporter of international peace. He led the Lake Mohonk Conference on International Arbitration from 1907 to 1912. This group worked to solve problems between countries without fighting.
Butler also helped convince Andrew Carnegie to give $10 million to start the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. This organization works to promote peace and understanding around the world. Butler became its president from 1925 to 1945.
For his efforts, he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931. He shared the award with Jane Addams. He was honored for helping to promote the Briand-Kellogg Pact, which was an agreement to avoid war.
In 1916, Butler and other important people bought the Château de Chavaniac in France. This was the birthplace of the Marquis de Lafayette, a French hero who helped America in its revolution. They used it as a base for a fund to help French heroes.
Butler was also the president of the Pilgrims Society from 1928 to 1946. This group works to build friendship between Britain and America. He also led The American Academy of Arts and Letters from 1928 to 1941.
Personal Life
Nicholas Butler married Susanna Edwards Schuyler in 1887. They had one daughter. Susanna passed away in 1903. In 1907, he married Kate La Montagne.
In 1940, Butler finished writing his autobiography, a book about his own life. It was called Across the Busy Years. In 1945, when he was 83 years old, Butler became almost blind. He then resigned from his many jobs. He passed away two years later.
Butler is buried at Cedar Lawn Cemetery in Paterson, New Jersey.
Some people thought Butler could be difficult to work with. He sometimes dismissed professors who disagreed with him. For example, he had disagreements with music professor Edward MacDowell, which led MacDowell to leave Columbia.
Butler wrote and spoke a lot about many different topics, from education to world peace.
Honors
- Knight Grand Commander in the Order of the Redeemer
- Order of Saint Sava
- Grand Cross of the Order of the White Lion (1926)
- Grand cordon of the Order of Leopold
- Knight Grand cross in the Order of the Crown of Italy
- Commander in the Order of the Red Eagle
- Knight Grand cross in the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
- Doctor honoris causa - University of Szeged (Hungary) (1931)
Works
- Regeneration, 1896
- Philosophy, 1908
- Why Should we Change our Form of Government?, 1912
- The Great War and Its Lessons, 1914
- The United States as a World Power, 1915
- The Building of the Nation, 1916
- Making Liberal Men and Women, 1921
- Scholarship and Service, 1921
- Building the American Nation, 1923
- The Faith of a Liberal, 1924
- Between Two Worlds, 1934
See also
In Spanish: Nicholas Murray Butler para niños
