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Butler, Richard Austen, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden
Butler, Richard Austen, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden ( ‘Rab’ Butler) (b. 9 Dec. 1902 d. 8 Mar. 1982). British Chancellor of the Exchequer 1951–5 Born in Attock (Punjab, India) and educated at Cambridge, he was elected to Parliament in 1929 as a Conservative. In 1932, he became Under-Secretary of State for India, and after a period at the Ministry of Labour, he became an Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office in 1938. Despite his support for appeasement and the Munich Agreement, he remained in government under Churchill, who promoted him to become President of the Board of Education in 1941. He was then responsible for the 1944 Education Act, which built the framework for postwar education in England, through the introduction of free secondary schooling open to all who passed the ‘11-plus’ examinations. In opposition (1945–51), as chairman of the Conservative Research Department he was influential in persuading the Conservative Party to accept the principles of the welfare state introduced by Beveridge and Attlee's government. During the subsequent years of Conservative government, he became Chancellor of the Exchequer (1951–5), Home Secretary (1957–62), and Foreign Secretary (1963–4). In these posts, he was associated with dissolving the Central African Federation, persuading the Treasury to build more prisons, presiding over periods of increased living standards, and reluctantly restricting immigration from the Commonwealth (immigration legislation (UK)). Despite his prominence and seniority within the party, he lacked political killer instinct and failed three times to gain the Conservative leadership, losing it to Eden (1955), Macmillan (1957), and Douglas-Home (1963). He became Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1964, but continued sporadic political activity in the House of Lords after 1965.
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JAN PALMOWSKI. "Butler, Richard Austen, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JAN PALMOWSKI. "Butler, Richard Austen, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-BtlrRchrdstnBrnBtlrfSffrn.html JAN PALMOWSKI. "Butler, Richard Austen, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-BtlrRchrdstnBrnBtlrfSffrn.html |
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Richard Austen Butler
Richard Austen Butler 1902–82, British politician. Educated at Cambridge, he entered Parliament in 1929 as a Conservative. As minister of education (1941–45), he piloted through Parliament the Education Act of 1944, which provided free primary and secondary education for all. He was minister of labor in 1945, before the Conservatives lost power. He later held almost every senior cabinet position except prime minister. He was chancellor of the exchequer (1951–55), home secretary (1957–62), deputy prime minister and first secretary of state (1962–63), and foreign secretary (1963–64). He was leader of the House of Commons (1955–61) and lord privy seal (1955–59). Retiring from politics, he accepted a life peerage as Baron Butler of Saffron Walden in 1965 and was master of Trinity College, Cambridge, from 1965 to 1978.
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"Richard Austen Butler." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Richard Austen Butler." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-ButlrR.html "Richard Austen Butler." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-ButlrR.html |
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Butler, Richard Austen
Butler, Richard Austen (1902–82). Born in India and educated at Cambridge, ‘Rab’ Butler entered Parliament in 1929 as MP for Saffron Walden. As president of the Board of Education he was responsible for the Education Act (1944) which introduced a tripartite secondary system and the ‘11-plus’ examination. During his time as chairman of the Conservative research department, Butler helped to reconcile the Tories to the welfare state, reviving their fortunes in the post-war era. He served in all three of the great offices of state, as chancellor (1951–5), home secretary (1957–62), and foreign secretary (1963–5). He was twice passed over for leadership of the party in favour of Macmillan in 1957 and Douglas-Home in 1963. Butler retired from politics in 1965, became a life peer, and accepted the mastership of Trinity College, Cambridge.
Richard A. Smith |
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JOHN CANNON. "Butler, Richard Austen." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "Butler, Richard Austen." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-ButlerRichardAusten.html JOHN CANNON. "Butler, Richard Austen." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-ButlerRichardAusten.html |
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Butler, R(ichard) A(usten), Baron Butler of Saffron Walden
Butler, R(ichard) A(usten), Baron Butler of Saffron Walden (1902–82) British politician. He was President of the Board of Education (1941–45) and was responsible for the Education Act of 1944, which laid down the framework for the post-war English free secondary education system and introduced the ‘11-plus’ examination for the selection of grammar school children. He was an important influence in persuading the Conservative Party to accept the principles of the WELFARE STATE. Butler held several ministerial posts between 1951 and 1964, including Chancellor of the Exchequer (1951–55), but was defeated in the contest for the leadership of the Conservative Party by Harold MACMILLAN in 1957 and again by Sir Alec DOUGLAS-HOME in 1963.
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Cite this article
"Butler, R(ichard) A(usten), Baron Butler of Saffron Walden." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Butler, R(ichard) A(usten), Baron Butler of Saffron Walden." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-BtlrRchrdstnBrnBtlrfSffrn.html "Butler, R(ichard) A(usten), Baron Butler of Saffron Walden." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-BtlrRchrdstnBrnBtlrfSffrn.html |
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Butler, Richard Austen
Butler, Richard Austen (1902–82). Born in India and educated at Cambridge, ‘Rab’ Butler entered Parliament in 1929 as MP for Saffron Walden. As president of the Board of Education he was responsible for the Education Act (1944), which introduced a tripartite secondary system and the ‘11–plus’ examination. He served in all three of the great offices of state, as chancellor (1951–5), home secretary (1957–62), and foreign secretary (1963–5). He was twice passed over for leadership of the party in favour of Macmillan in 1957 and Douglas‐Home in 1963. Butler retired from politics in 1965 and accepted the mastership of Trinity College, Cambridge.
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Cite this article
JOHN CANNON. "Butler, Richard Austen." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "Butler, Richard Austen." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-ButlerRichardAusten.html JOHN CANNON. "Butler, Richard Austen." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-ButlerRichardAusten.html |
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