Daniel Evan Button (November 1, 1917 – March 7, 2009) was a Republican member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

from 1967 to 1971. A native of

Dunkirk, New York Dunkirk is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. It was settled around 1805 and incorporated in 1880. The population was 12,743 as of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Dunkirk ...

, Button graduated from Wilmington High School in Delaware in 1933 and the

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially known as UD, UDel, or Delaware) is a Statutory college#Delaware, privately governed, state-assisted Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Newark, Delaware, United States. UD offers f ...

in 1938. He received a master's degree from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

in 1939. Button worked as a journalist and university public relations representative in Delaware and New York. In 1966, Button was elected to Congress, and he won reelection in 1968. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1970, after which he resumed his journalism career and authored several books.

Early life

Daniel E. Button was born in

on 1 November 1917. He graduated from Delaware's Wilmington High School in 1933. In 1938, he received his A.B. degree from the

. In 1939, he received his

M.A. A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

from

. He wrote for the ''

Wilmington Morning News ''The News Journal'' is a daily newspaper in Wilmington, Delaware. It is headquartered in unincorporated New Castle County, Delaware, near New Castle, and is owned by Gannett. History The ancestry of the News Journal reflects the mergers of ...

'' and the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

from 1943 until 1947, when he turned to public relations at the University of Delaware. After this, he was assistant to the president of the

State University of New York The State University of New York (SUNY ) is a system of Public education, public colleges and universities in the New York (state), State of New York. It is one of the List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, larges ...

from 1952 until 1958. He was executive editor of the

Albany Times-Union The ''Times Union'', or ''Times-Union'', is an American daily newspaper, serving the Capital Region of New York. Although the newspaper focuses on Albany and its suburbs, it covers all parts of the four-county area, including the cities of Tr ...

from 1960 until 1966.

Congress

Button was elected to Congress in 1966 as a Republican in a heavily Democratic district centered around Albany and

Schenectady Schenectady ( ) is a City (New York), city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-most populo ...

and served from January 3, 1967, until January 3, 1971. Button first ran for the seat vacated by Democrat Leo W. O'Brien in 1966 and was reelected to a second term in 1968. However, a mid-decade redistricting ahead of the 1970 elections made his district even more heavily Democratic and drew the home of Democratic congressman and former Schenectady mayor Samuel S. Stratton into Button's district. By 1970, he had become an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War. However, this was not enough to overcome the heavy partisan lean of his new district, and he was routed in the general election.

Later career

He was president of the

Arthritis Foundation The Arthritis Foundation is a nonprofit organization addressing the needs of people living with arthritis in the United States. The Arthritis Foundation works to provide information and resources, improve access to care, make advancements in sc ...

from 1971 to 1975 and editor of the national consumer magazine ''

Science Digest ''Science Digest'' was a monthly American magazine published by the Hearst Corporation from 1937 through 1988. History ''Science Digest'' was first published in January 1937 in an 8 x 5 inch digest size format of about 100 pag ...

'' from 1976 to 1980. He wrote a 1965 study of

John V. Lindsay John Vliet Lindsay (; November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American politician and lawyer. During his political career, Lindsay was a U.S. congressman, the mayor of New York City, and a candidate for U.S. president. He was also a regu ...

, ''Lindsay: A Man for Tomorrow'', and also published ''Take City Hall'' about Albany politics (2003). Button also authored a biography of Albany mayor

Thomas Michael Whalen III Thomas Michael Whalen III, also known as Tom Whalen, (January 6, 1934 – March 4, 2002) was an American attorney and politician, and a three-term mayor of Albany, New York, serving from 1983 to 1993.Eric Pace, "Thomas M. Whalen III, 68, Thre ...

, and wrote editorial's for Delmar's ''

The Spotlight ''The Spotlight'' was a weekly newspaper in the United States, published in Washington, D.C. from September 1975 to July 2001 by the now-defunct antisemitic Liberty Lobby. ''The Spotlight'' ran articles and editorials professing a "populist and ...

'' newspaper. From 1994 to 2003 he was executive assistant to the president of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities in New York State. In retirement, Button was a resident of Delmar. He died at Albany Medical Center in Albany, New York on March 7, 2009. Button was buried at

Albany Rural Cemetery The Albany Rural Cemetery was established October 7, 1844, in Menands, New York, United States, just outside the city of Albany, New York. It is renowned as one of the most beautiful, pastoral cemeteries in the U.S., at over . Many historical ...

Menands, New York Menands is a village in Albany County, New York, United States. The population was 4,554 at the 2020 census. The village is named after Louis Menand. The village lies inside the town of Colonie and borders the northern city line of Albany. ...

, Section 118, Plot 1051.

Sources

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Button, Daniel E 1917 births 2009 deaths Columbia University alumni People from Dunkirk, New York University of Delaware alumni Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) People from Bethlehem, New York 20th-century New York (state) politicians 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives Burials at Albany Rural Cemetery