Walter Halben Butler | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Louisville Courier-Journal, December 31, 1894 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIowa's4th district | |
| In office 1891–1893 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph H. Sweney |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Updegraff |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1852-02-13)February 13, 1852 Springboro, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | April 24, 1931(1931-04-24) (aged 79) Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Hill Calvary Cemetery Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
Walter Halben Butler (February 13, 1852 – April 24, 1931) was a lawyer, teacher, newspaper publisher, and one-termDemocraticU.S. Representative fromIowa's 4th congressional district, then located in northeastern Iowa.
Born inSpringboro, Pennsylvania on February 13, 1852,[1] Butler moved toMinnesota in 1868 with his parents, who settled inMankato, inBlue Earth County.[2] He attended public and private schools, and graduated from theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison in 1875.[2] He was a wrestler and sprinter there, and is credited as the first to run the100-yard dash in 10 seconds.[3]
After studying law, he wasadmitted to the bar in 1875 and commenced practice inPrinceton, Wisconsin.[2] He moved toIowa in 1876 and taught school atLa Porte City until 1878, and atManchester until 1880.[2]
He moved toWest Union, Iowa, in 1883 and became owner and publisher of theFayette County Union.[2] From 1885 to 1889, he served as superintendent of the Railway Mail Service's tenth division, atSt. Paul, Minnesota.[2] He returned to West Union, and resumed his former newspaper pursuits.[2]
In 1890, Butler was nominated as a Democrat to run against incumbent Republican U.S. House RepresentativeJoseph Henry Sweney from the 4th congressional district.[2] After defeating Sweney in the general election as part of a Democratic landslide, he served in theFifty-second Congress.[2] In 1892 he was defeated in his first re-election bid, by former Republican CongressmanThomas Updegraff.[2] Butler served in Congress from March 4, 1891 to March 3, 1893.[2]
After leaving Congress, he returned to northeastern Iowa for five years.[2] He moved toDes Moines, Iowa, in 1897 and toKansas City, Missouri, in 1907.[2] He engaged in the real estate and loan business and, later in banking.[2] He died in Kansas City on April 24, 1931.[2][3] He was interred atForest Hill Calvary Cemetery in Kansas City.[2]
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromIowa's 4th congressional district 1891–1893 | Succeeded by |
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.
