Background
Butler was born April 3, 1894, in Yonkers, New New York The son of George Prentice Butler, a stockbroker, he was one of eight children.
Butler was born April 3, 1894, in Yonkers, New New York The son of George Prentice Butler, a stockbroker, he was one of eight children.
Princeton; Harvard Medical School.
A pioneer in health services, Butler sought to change the structure of the American ‘fee-for-service’ system of health care to one based on government-paid medical care for the elderly and low-income people. Butler spent World War I overseas, serving as an artillery officer in the American Expeditionary Forces. Afterward, he served in Poland as part of the Hoover Commission.
Butler entered Harvard Medical School in 1922.
After graduating in 1926, he worked at the Rockefeller Institute. lieutenant was there that he developed an interest in fluid and electrolyte metabolism.
During World World War II, he worked on life-raft studies conducted by the Office of Scientific Research and Development that led to advancements in treating diarrhea and dehydration. In 1929, Butler returned to Harvard as an instructor in Pediatrics.
He would remain at these two posts, concurrently, until 1960.
Butler’s advocacy for medical insurance and pre-paid methods of health care embroiled him in the socialized medicine debate. He would also face a loyalty review by the Civil Service Commission Loyalty Review Board. He was a dedicated opponent of the Vietnam War and a supporter of abortion rights, nuclear disarmament, and nonviolent resistance.