Robert P. Butler

Robert Paul Butler (December 25, 1883 – February 8, 1971) was an American attorney who served as the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

Early life and education Robert P. Butler was born in Prairieville, Michigan, on Christmas 1883. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University in 1905 and earned a Master of Arts from Trinity College in 1906. Rather than attending a formal law school, Butler learnt law through reading the law and was admitted to the Connecticut Bar in 1915 and later to the federal courts.

Legal career He was appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to serve as United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut in 1934 a position he held until 1945. He handled significant cases during his tenure, including legal issues arising from World War II and the 1944 Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus fire, which killed 168 people. Butler chaired a committee that managed the arbitration of over $1 million in claims related to the fire, earning praise for his ethical handling of the case. Following his federal service, he returned to private practice as a senior partner at Butler, Volpe & Sacco and served as president of the Hartford County Bar Association in 1948.

Personal life Butler was a resident of West Hartford, Connecticut, where he lived for over 65 years. He was actively involved in the community, including being a member of the Asylum Hill Congregational Church. Butler was also a patron of the arts, participating in a choral club and writing music and theater critiques for the Hartford Courant.

Death and legacy Robert P. Butler died on February 8, 1971, at the age of 87 in his home in West Hartford.