James E. Butler was born September 19, 1913 in Kansas City. He graduated from Kansas City, Kansas' Sumner High School in 1931 and from Kansas State University. Butler served in the U.S. Army for 32 years, retiring in 1974, at the rank of Senior Warrant Officer. In 1979, Kansas Governor John Carlin appointed Butler to the Kansas Human Rights Commission (KHRC). Butler served as both commissioner and Chairman of KHRC/Kansas Civil Rights Commission. In 2004, the Association of Official Human Rights Agencies awarded Butler, still the KHRC/KCRC Chairman, a lifetime achievement award.
Besides his work with KHRC/KCRC, Butler was an active member of the Bethel A.M.E. Church as well as the NAACP.
James E. and Margaret Butler had one son, Marvin.
From the guide to the James E. Butler papers, 1898-1988, (University of Kansas Kenneth Spencer Research Library Kansas Collection)
