Preceded by Harley E. Knox Succeeded by Charles Dail | Political party Republican Name John Butler | |
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Died February 9, 2010(2010-02-09) (aged 94)
San Diego, California Alma mater San Diego State College (B.A.)
University of California, Berkeley
Stanford Law School (J.D.) | ||
John D. Butler (August 4, 1915 – February 9, 2010) was an American Republican politician from California. John Butler was born in San Diego and played football at San Diego State, where he was named an All-American. He was a transactional lawyer. During World War II, he served as a in the United States Navy.
Butler was mayor of San Diego, a nonpartisan position, from 1951 until 1955. He was the first "native son" mayor and the youngest mayor in city history. During his tenure as mayor, he was responsible for initiating the one-way street system in downtown San Diego and began the development of Mission Bay. He guest starred as himself on two CBS television series, the variety program, Faye Emerson's Wonderful Town, and What's My Line?. In the latter, a quiz program, broadcast on October 5, 1952, panelist Arlene Francis guessed Butler's identity. San Diego politics is the subject of an interview with Butler, which is included in the Oral History Collection of the San Diego Historical Society. Butler lived in the Point Loma area of San Diego during the last decades of his life and was active at the San Diego Yacht Club and La Playa Yacht Club.
Butler is survived by his wife of forty-eight years, Virginia "Kirk" Butler, five children Carol Loverde, Rob Egenolf, John Butler Jr., Michael Butler, and Gail Alaimo, fourteen grandchildren, and ten great grandchildren