Dr. Karl Butler was the first graduate of the Department of Plant Pathology, at the University of Arizona. He is a native Arizonian, born in Douglas in 1910. As a child, his family moved to Mesa, Arizona. After receiving his M.S. in Plant Pathology, in 1933, at the University of Arizona, he worked with Dr. J. G. Brown. He went on to earn his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1940. After a brief assignment in the Amazon involving natural rubber, Dr. Butler returned to the U.S., where his career developed into one of national leadership in the agricultural cooperative movement. During the Eisenhower Administration, he worked closely with the Secretary of Agriculture, Ezra Taft Benson. During his career, although Dr. Butler has had involvement in a wide spectrum of activities relative to agriculture, he has maintained close ties to Plant Pathology, Plant Pathologists and the University of Arizona. He maintains a permanent residence in Ithaca, New York, and winters in Tucson.

THE INAUGURATION OF THE ENDOWMENT

Karl Butler and a Graduate Fellow

The Karl Butler Plant Pathology Endowment was established in 1994. A reception was held on March 1 of that year honoring Dr. Butler. In attendance were many of Dr. Butler's former associates, as well as faculty, staff and graduate students from the Department of Plant Pathology. Dr. Roger Beachy of the Scripps Institute gave a presentation, with the evening concluding with remarks from Dr. Butler.

THE ENDOWMENT

Income from the endowment is being used to fund a graduate fellow, as well as the Karl Butler Plant Pathology Endowment Lecture Series. The first recipient of the Karl Butler Endowment Scholarship, Mr. Scott Chancey, began his graduate career at the University of Arizona in 1994. To date, funds from the endowment have been used for scholarships of additional graduate students. Funds from the endowment are held in University of Arizona Foundation and in University accounts. Contributions to the endowment continue to be received.

For further information about the endowment, please contact:

University of Arizona
Division of Plant Pathology & Microbiology
Department of Plant Sciences
Forbes 303/Box 210036
Tucson, AZ 85721
520/621-1977