Norman Frank Butler

Norman Butler (December 2, 1918 – October 8, 2011), was a polo player, Thoroughbred breeder and industrialist.^[1]

Norman Butler and step mother Mrs Paul Butler, Palm Beach 1945

Butler Family biography

The Butlers arrived in America in 1654, where the Anglo-Irish family first began to make paper.^[2] In 1841, Julius W. Butler founded the J. W. Butler Paper Company in St. Charles, Illinois.^[3] The family from the success of the Butler paper company, would in the next century diversify into aviation, ranching and real estate. The Butler Paper Company had previously been the first suppliers of paper to the newly formed United States Congress.

By the mid-20th century the Butler company was one of the most successful and richest private companies in America. The Butler Paper company supplied paper all over the world, Butler Aviation was the largest private aviation company in America and the Butler family real estate holdings included the village of Oak Brook, Illinois and several large cattle ranches throughout America.^[4]

The Butler family was also a major force in polo, owning 14 polo fields in Oak Brook, Illinois and hosting tournaments there until the present day.^[5] The Butler family also owned the Butler National Golf Club in Oak Brook, which hosted the PGA Western Open from 1974 until 1990.

Early life

Norman Butler was born to industrialist Paul Butler and Sarah Anne Rooney of Co. Mayo, Ireland. His grandfather Frank Osgood Butler and father Paul Butler were prominent American industrialists and founders of Oak Brook Village, Illinois.^[6] He was born in New York City in 1918. He attended Hodder preparatory school and Stonyhurst College in Lancashire, England. He later studied Modern Greats at Oriel College, Oxford University.

In 1941 he joined the U.S. Navy, where he served as a bomber pilot in the South Atlantic attached to squadron VB-107, which sank the most U-Boats of any unit serving in the South Atlantic. As a Lt. officer he served until 1945, winning the Bronze Star, Air Medal and the Presidential Unit Citation.

In 1948 he married Pauline Winn, daughter of Lady Baillie and Charles Frederick Winn, of Leeds Castle in Kent. They had two children together, Sandra Butler (born 1949) and Paget Butler (born 1953). They divorced in 1958.

From 1948 until 1960 he worked as a director in the Butler Paper and Butler Aviation companies, and Butler S.A. (South America).

It was also during this time that he played polo in the United States, England and South America.

In 1959 he married his second wife Penelope Dewar, daughter of Lord Forteviot, owner of Dewar Whiskies in Scotland. They had three children together, Paul Butler (born 1960), Tiggy Butler (born 1961) and Sean Butler (born 1963). They divorced in 1977.

In 1981 he married his third wife Baroness Gabriella Groger von Sonntag, fashion editor of German Vogue, daughter of Kurt Groger, a German banker and Director of the Dresdner Bank. They had one son, Patrick de Butler (born 1986).

Thoroughbred racing

In 1960 he bought Kilboy Estate in County Tipperary, Ireland. As a Thoroughbred breeder in 1972 he won the classic Irish 1,000 Guineas and the Irish St. Leger with his famous horse Pidget, trained by Kevin Prendergast and ridden by the jockey T. P. Burns. He also worked with Vincent O'Brien and Walter Swinburn among many others during his time as a Thoroughbred breeder.

He later sold Kilboy Estate to Tony Ryan, founder of Ryanair.

He died at his home in Beverly Hills, California, on October 8, 2011.

References

http://www.classicchicagomagazine.com/the-butlers-of-oak-brook/

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.