Biographical sketch of Sylvester Benjamin Butler

[Some photos of Sylvester Butler]
[Sylvester's voice and piano]

Compiled by David Butler (grandson) from recollections of Sewall T. Butler (son) and Jacqueline W. Butler (daughter-in-law). May 1989. Additional information comes from Sylvester's files and letters. See his Letters from New Jersey and in the army.

Sylvester Benjamin Butler was born July 26, 1892 on "the plains" in Cromwell, CT. His parents were George Sylvester Butler, a nurseryman and horticulturist, and Carrie Savage Butler, daughter of Ralph Bulkley Savage and his wife Sarah Strickland Savage. Sylvester was the oldest of three children: a brother Ralph Savage Butler and a sister Lucinthia.

In a note in the "45 year record" of Yale College, he tells how his father gave him a small plot of ground to cultivate when he was about nine years old, with the agreement that the plot could get bigger each year so long as it was kept up and in good condition. The promise was faithfully kept and the love of gardening was something that remained with him well into his retirement.

He belonged to one of the first classes that attended Nathanial White school of Cromwell and graduated from Middletown High in 1909. In the fall of 1909 he began studies at Yale University in New Haven CT, where he majored in History and joined the Zeta Psi fraternity. He graduated from Yale in 1913. Other classmates of the Class of 1913 included Cole Porter (composer-lyricist), Alonzo Elliott (Composer of "There's a long long trail A'winding" and Averell Harrimann (Governor of New York). While at Yale he was witness to the 1910 appearence of Halley's Comet. He often told his grandchildren about watching the event from East Rock and the roof of Pierson Hall, and how he hoped to be around to see it again in 1986.

On the occasion of his 50th College Reunion in June of 1963, I accompanied him to the event. As we drove to New Haven along Rt. 17, in his robin's egg blue Lark Studebaker, he told me how that was the same route that his Dad and he had taken, by horse and buckboard with his trunk loaded on the back, when he had gone off to school in the fall of 1909.

The summer before his senior year he worked for The Pope Manufacturing Company of Hartford, CT. He worked as a clerk in their accounting department. After college, he worked for about three years at Landers, Frary and Clark, a hardware manufacturer of New Britain, CT. Working first as an office assistant and later in cataloguing and sales work. A post card from that era shows that he was living at 14 Camp Street in New Britian. Probably as a boarder.

Sylvester went to New Jersey in August, 1916 to teach history and mathematics at Pleasantville High school. His letters go into great detail describing his work as well as his hopes and aspirations during this time. Among other activities he helped coach the Pleasantville High football team. While teaching there he met Eva Lutz (a student who graduated in 1917). Eva was a "protegee" of one of his fellow teachers, Gertrude Tolbert.

In May 1917 he joined the army and entered officer's candidate school at Plattsburg NY. He graduated with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant in August of that year. He was assigned to the 301st Supply Train at Camp Devens in Ayers MA, where he rose to 1st Lieutenant and then to Captain in May of 1918. At first he was in charge of Company C, but later became adjutant to Major June in the train's Headquarters. While in Bridgeport CT, where the train was picking up trucks to bring back to Devens, he was in a motorcycle accident. Another man was driving the motorcycle and Sylvester was in the sidecar.

He was sent to France in August of 1918 just three months before the armistice that ended World War I. The Supply Train was first stationed in St. Amand-Montrond in Department Cher, but they moved to Le Havre, Nevers and Poitier during their stay. After Major June was transferred to a position in the Army of occupation, Sylvester became commanding officer of the Supply Train, which remained in France until June of 1919.

He returned to Connecticut after the war in June of 1919, and began looking for employment and planning his wedding. He married Eva Lutz August 4, 1919 in the town of Cape May Court House. They honeymooned at Lake Winnipasaukee in New Hampshire.

Sylvester taught 1 year at Middletown high. While in Middletown Eva apparently "collapsed in the street". She was taken to the hospital in a child's red wagon. The collapse put in jeopardy her pregnancy. All came through okay and Sewall Tolbert Butler their only child was born August 25, 1920 in Plymouth, CT. He was named for Sam Sewall (Sylvester's roommate at Yale) and Gertrude Tolbert (Eva's mentor and a teacher from Pleasantville High).

In September 1920 Sylvester became Principal of the high school in Terryville, CT. In his personal files is a document, dated April 1920 and signed by Ralph C. Jenkins, offering him the job for $2000 for the year. He worked there for 3 years.

From 1923 to 1926 he was Superintendent of Schools for Litchfield, CT., where he instituted several forward looking programs, including overhauling the teachers salaries. He was thwarted in an attempt to implement a "six - six" policy named for the concept of having 6 years of grammar school and 6 more for junior high. It was this defeat that caused Sylvester to turn in his resignation and look elsewhere for his future.

In 1925 he edited and co-wrote a book called, "The 301st Supply Train in the World War" published by Enquirer Print of Litchfield, CT. At least two copies have survived and helped to provide information for building the AEF section of this web site.

Next the family moved to Suffern NY where Sylvester was the Director of the Ramapo Valley Country Day School for the 1926/27 school year. The house they rented there had formerly been owned or lived in by Dan Beard, a man who had strong ties to the early days of Boy scouts.

In 1927 they moved to New York City where he taught History part-time at the Ethical Culture school and attended Columbia to get his Masters Degree. Sylvester stayed only one year but Eva, who was teaching at Bentley Elementary school, and Sewall stayed for a second year.

In 1928 Sylvester moved to Groton where he became Superintendent of the 1st and 8th School districts. (These included Col. Ledyard, Groton Heights and Eastern Point schools.) In 1931 he became the first Superintendent of the whole Groton School district. According to a newspaper article announcing this news, his salary would be $3700. He remained in this position until his retirement in August, 1956.

In 1935 he was appointed general chairman for Groton's observance of the Connecticut Tercentenary. Both he and his wife, Eva, were active in the preparations.

Eva bought the old James Woodbridge house on Gallup Hill Road in Ledyard in September 1941. She paid about $2800 for 2 houses and 13 acres. In succeeding years she acquired the two barns and nearly 100 acres. In 1939 she could have bought the house and barns and acreage for about $1900 but was talked out of it by Sylvester. Instead Eva went to University of New Mexico and studied for two years. When she returned even though the price had risen on the property, she went ahead and bought it from the Chapman family.

The S. B. Butler School of Groton, CT was named for Sylvester shortly before his retirement. It opened its doors just before the 1953-1954 school year. Interestingly it had similar problems with a lack of desks and chairs as he had experienced in his first school in Pleasantville NJ. After retirement he worked as a fiscal consultant for the town of Groton. As an interesting aside the S. B. Butler School is mentioned in the 1990 film "Flatliner."

After his retirement, Slyvester had this to say about his career: "School's been out for me just a year. While it kept, the job was most of my life, which proverbially makes any one a dull boy. But, heavy as its pressures were, in an expanding community beset with financial problems it was never dull to me as a participant. Satisfaction in the eventual fruition of plans and emergence of solutions to insoluable problems had to be tempered with a realization of areas of incompleteness. But the personal rewards were rich especially in the kindness and goodwill of associates, constituants and friends, and most treasured of all, heart-warming flashbacks from students through the years. As for regrets, suppose we just say that it takes some of us a lifetime to acquire anywhere near the degrees of maturity, balance, and sense of proportion needed to meet all occasions. [And] learning too slowly that barks are indeed worse than bites."

Sylvester was a member of the Lions Club, serving as Deputy District Governor. He was also a member of the American Legion serving as Treasurer of Groton post #114 and as Commander of the 5th District, Department of Connecticut. He was also active in All Souls Church (Unitarian-Universalist) of New London where he held a number of positions including trustee, president and treasurer.

Sylvester died in February 1970 as the result of a car accident on Shewville Road in Ledyard CT. His wife Eva had died one year eariler of a heart attack. He was survived by his son Sewall, five grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.

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