Robert R. Butler
Encyclopedia
Robert Reyburn Butler was a U.S. Representative
from Oregon
, grandson of Roderick Randum Butler. He also served in the Oregon State Senate
and as a state circuit court judge in Oregon.
, where he attended the public schools and then Holly Springs College. His parents were Rebecca C. Grayson and William P. Butler. He graduated from Cumberland School of Law
at in Lebanon, Tennessee
, in 1903. He was admitted to the bar
and commenced practice in Mountain City, Tennessee
. In 1906, Butler moved to Condon, Oregon
, and resumed the practice of law. In 1911, Butler was married, with the marriage producing a single daughter.
for the eleventh judicial district of Oregon and served from February 1909 until his retirement in January 1911. He held court for Sherman
, Wheeler
, and Gilliam
counties in Eastern Oregon
. In 1911, he moved to The Dalles, Oregon
, and resumed the practice of law. He served as member of the Oregon State Senate
twice, from 1913 to 1917, and again from 1925 to 1929.
In 1928, Nicholas J. Sinnott
resigned his position representing Oregon's 2nd congressional district
in the United States House of Representatives
. Butler, a Republican
, defeated Walter M. Pierce
in a special election to complete the remaining two months of Sinnott's term, and on the same day, was elected to the full term for the next Congress. Butler was re-elected to a second term in 1930, defeating Democrat Robert E. Bradford.
In 1932, Butler faced his 1928 opponent Walter Pierce, but this time, Pierce won. Shortly after the election, Butler fell ill with pneumonia and on January 7, 1933, died of heart failure in a Washington, D.C.
hospital. He was interred in the Odd Fellows Cemetery in The Dalles.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, grandson of Roderick Randum Butler. He also served in the Oregon State Senate
Oregon State Senate
The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the state-wide legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the State Senate, representing 30 districts across the state,...
and as a state circuit court judge in Oregon.
Early life
Butler was born in Butler, TennesseeButler, Tennessee
Butler is an unincorporated community in Johnson County in the northeastern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located near Watauga Lake. Butler is served by a post office, assigned ZIP Code 37640.-Early history:...
, where he attended the public schools and then Holly Springs College. His parents were Rebecca C. Grayson and William P. Butler. He graduated from Cumberland School of Law
Cumberland School of Law
Cumberland School of Law is an ABA accredited law school at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. The 11th oldest law school in the United States, it is 160 years old and has more than 11,000 graduates. Its alumni include two United States Supreme Court Justices; Nobel Peace Prize recipient...
at in Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon is a city in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the United States. The population was 20,235 at the 2000 census. It serves as the county seat of Wilson County. Lebanon is located in middle Tennessee, approximately 25 miles east of downtown Nashville. Local residents have also called it...
, in 1903. He was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
and commenced practice in Mountain City, Tennessee
Mountain City, Tennessee
Mountain City is a town in Johnson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,383 at the 2000 census. It is the northeasternmost county seat in Tennessee; Mountain City is the county seat of Johnson County.-History:...
. In 1906, Butler moved to Condon, Oregon
Condon, Oregon
Condon is a city in Gilliam County, Oregon, United States. The population was 759 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Gilliam County. It is located on Oregon Route 19....
, and resumed the practice of law. In 1911, Butler was married, with the marriage producing a single daughter.
Political career
In Oregon he served as mayor of Condon, before being appointed as circuit judgeJudge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
for the eleventh judicial district of Oregon and served from February 1909 until his retirement in January 1911. He held court for Sherman
Sherman County, Oregon
Sherman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for William Tecumseh Sherman, a Union general in the American Civil War. In 2010, its population was 1,765. The seat of the county is Moro. The largest city is Wasco....
, Wheeler
Wheeler County, Oregon
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,547 people, 653 households, and 444 families residing in the county. The population density was 1 people per square mile . There were 842 housing units at an average density of 0 per square mile...
, and Gilliam
Gilliam County, Oregon
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,915 people, 819 households, and 543 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile . There were 1,043 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile...
counties in Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon is the eastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is not an officially recognized geographic entity, thus the boundaries of the region vary according to context. It is sometimes understood to include only the eight easternmost counties in the state; in other contexts, it includes...
. In 1911, he moved to The Dalles, Oregon
The Dalles, Oregon
The Dalles is the largest city and county seat of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The name of the city comes from the French word dalle The Dalles is the largest city and county seat of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The name of the city comes from the French word dalle The Dalles is...
, and resumed the practice of law. He served as member of the Oregon State Senate
Oregon State Senate
The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the state-wide legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the State Senate, representing 30 districts across the state,...
twice, from 1913 to 1917, and again from 1925 to 1929.
In 1928, Nicholas J. Sinnott
Nicholas J. Sinnott
Nicholas John Sinnott was a Republican politician from the state of Oregon. He served in the Oregon State Senate, in the United States House of Representatives, and on the now defunct United States Court of Claims federal court.-Early life:...
resigned his position representing Oregon's 2nd congressional district
Oregon's 2nd congressional district
Oregon's 2nd congressional district is the largest of Oregon's five districts, and is the seventh largest district in the nation. The district covers roughly two-thirds of the state, east of the Willamette Valley...
in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. Butler, a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, defeated Walter M. Pierce
Walter M. Pierce
Walter Marcus Pierce was an American politician, a Democrat, who served as the 17th Governor of Oregon and a member of the United States House of Representatives from . A native of Illinois, he served in the Oregon State Senate before the governorship, and again after leaving the U.S. House...
in a special election to complete the remaining two months of Sinnott's term, and on the same day, was elected to the full term for the next Congress. Butler was re-elected to a second term in 1930, defeating Democrat Robert E. Bradford.
In 1932, Butler faced his 1928 opponent Walter Pierce, but this time, Pierce won. Shortly after the election, Butler fell ill with pneumonia and on January 7, 1933, died of heart failure in a Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
hospital. He was interred in the Odd Fellows Cemetery in The Dalles.