Sir Milo Boughton Butler (11 August 190622 January 1979) was a Bahamian politician who served as the second

governor-general of the Bahamas Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

from 1973 to 1979. He died in office, aged 72.

Early life and family

Butler was born in Nassau,

The Bahamas The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic and island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 97 per cent of the archipelago's land area and 88 per cent of ...

on 11 August 1905 to George Raleigh Butler and his wife Frances. He attended the George Washington School in Florida, the public school at Rum Cay, and the Boys' Central School in Nassau. At age 17, Butler began his own grocery business. On 14 October 1928, Butler married Caroline Loretta Watson. They had seven sons and three daughters.

Career and death

Butler entered electoral politics in 1936 as a member of the

Progressive Liberal Party The Progressive Liberal Party (abbreviated PLP) is a populist and social liberal party in the Bahamas. Philip Davis is the leader of the party. History The PLP was founded in 1953 by William Cartwright, Cyril Stevenson, and Henry Milton ...

(PLP), when he unsuccessfully ran against Sir Harry Oakes in the Western District of New Providence. Although Butler was seen as a charismatic candidate who had the support of the working class voters, Oakes' team allegedly employed "questionable" means to win the election. The following year, Butler was elected to parliament following a by-election in the same constituency, relinquishing the office in 1947. In 1956, after the government imposed a 12-minute limit on parliamentary speeches, Butler threw the Speaker's hourglass out of the window at the House of Assembly. He returned as a member of parliament for the Western District the same year, serving for a decade. From 1967 to 1973, he represented Bain Town. After the PLP emerged victorious in the 1967 general election and formed a majority government, Butler became Minister of Health and Welfare followed by Minister of Labour, Agriculture and Fisheries a year later. In 1970, he was appointed as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, and in 1972 he became Minister without Portfolio. On 1 August 1973, Butler was appointed as the

second The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of U ...

Governor-General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

of the Bahamas by Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

, on the recommendation of

Lynden Pindling Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling, Order of St Michael and St George, KCMG, Privy Council of the United Kingdom, PC, Order of National Hero (Bahamas), NH, Justice of the peace, JP (22 March 193026 August 2000) was a The Bahamas, Bahamian politician who ...

, Prime Minister of The Bahamas and leader of the PLP. He served as Governor General until his death on 22 January 1979 in Nassau. Butler is buried at the cemetery next to the nineteenth-century St. Matthew's Anglican Church on Church and Shirley Streets. On 14 November 1991, his son Milo Butler Jr. became Speaker of Parliament.

Recognition

In June 1972, Butler was honoured as a National Hero of the Bahamas following a Special Resolution by the Honourable House of Assembly. In 1973, he was appointed as a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) by Queen Elizabeth II. In February 1975, following the Queen's visit to Nassau, he was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO). A bronze statue of Butler designed by Bahamian sculptor Randolph Johnson was unveiled on 22 January 1986 at Rawson Square in downtown Nassau. In 2018, he was posthumously awarded the Bahamian Order of National Hero (NH).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, Milo 1905 births 1979 deaths Governors-general of the Bahamas Knights Bachelor Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Progressive Liberal Party politicians People from Nassau, Bahamas Agriculture ministers of the Bahamas Fisheries ministers of the Bahamas Labour ministers of the Bahamas Health ministers of the Bahamas Ministers without portfolio of the Bahamas