Sir James Ramsay Montagu Butler, (20 July 1889 – 1 March 1975) was a British politician and academic. He was a member of parliament for Cambridge University from 1922 to 1923. He was Regius Professor of Modern History at the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

from 1947 to 1954, and vice-master of

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

, from 1954 to 1960. He also saw military service during both the

First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and Second World Wars.

Early life and education

Butler was born at

, where his father, Henry Montagu Butler (1833–1918), Cambridge senior classic in 1855, was master of the college (1886–1918). His mother, Montagu Butler's second wife,

Agnata Frances Ramsay Agnata Frances Butler (née Ramsay; 1867–1931) was a British classical scholar. She was among the first generation of women to take the Classical Tripos examinations at the University of Cambridge, and was the only person to be placed in the ...

, attained the highest marks in the Classical Tripos at Cambridge in 1887. With this impeccable classical background, Butler attended

Harrow School (The Faithful Dispensation of the Gifts of God) , established = (Royal Charter) , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent schoolBoarding school , religion = Church of E ...

and then Trinity College. As an undergraduate he was a brilliant scholar, winning a number of prizes including the Chancellor's Medal in Classics and the Craven Scholarship, and gaining a double first class in Classics and History. He was also president of the Cambridge Union in 1910.

Career

When the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

broke out in 1914, he joined the Scottish Horse. This was a regiment in the Yeomanry, and it saw service in the Middle East, first in the Gallipoli Campaign and then

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

. Butler next gained a position in the Directorate of Military Operations in the War Office and ended the war serving in the general staff of the British forces in France. His service led to him being appointed

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(OBE) and he was twice

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

. At the end of the war Butler returned to

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

. In 1922 he stood as a member of parliament for

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

. His greatest achievement during his short tenure in the House of Commons was the passage of the

Oxford and Cambridge Universities Act 1922 Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...

, which put into law the proposals of the Royal Commission established in 1919 to review the organisation and constitutions of the universities and the statutes of their colleges. He was defeated in the 1923 general election by his cousin Sir

George Butler George Butler may refer to: Arts and entertainment * George Butler (filmmaker) (1944–2021), American filmmaker * George Butler (record producer) (1931–2008), American record producer * George Bernard Butler (1838–1907), American painter * Ge ...

. Promotion to tutor came in 1928, a lectureship in history in 1929 and then as senior tutor in 1931. Another world war intervened in his academic career. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Butler returned to military service in the Army Intelligence Corps, recruiting many former students including

Bernard Willson Harold Bernard Willson (25 February 1919–1994) was a British linguist and noted academic, who during the Second World War was the first person to decrypt the Italian Navy Hagelin C-38 code machine. He was the father of television presente ...

to work on code breaking at Bletchley Park. From 1942 he worked in the field of civil affairs and military government, with particular focus on France. After the conclusion of hostilities, he was appointed editor United Kingdom Military Series of the '' History of the Second World War'' by the Prime Minister

Clement Attlee Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, (3 January 18838 October 1967) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955. He was Deputy Prime Mini ...

. He was appointed Regius Professor of Modern History in 1947, holding the chair until 1954. He wrote two of the volumes concerning grand strategy published in that series. In 1958 he was given a knighthood for his work on the books.Who's Who, 1974, London : A. & C. Black, 1974, p.482 Butler resigned his chair in 1954 and was then appointed emeritus professor. The following year he was elected vice-master of Trinity College, a post he held until 1960.

Publications

* ''The Passing of the Great Reform Bill'' (1914) * ''Henry Montagu Butler : a memoir'' (1925) * ''History of England, 1815–1918'' (1928) * ''Grand Strategy, vol II (September 1939 – June 1941)'' (1957) * ''Lord Lothian'' (1960) * ''Grand Strategy, vol III (June 1941 – August 1942)'' with J.M.A. Gwyer (1964)

References

Sources

* ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, James Ramsay 1889 births 1975 deaths Intelligence Corps officers Military personnel from Cambridgeshire People educated at Harrow School Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge British Army personnel of World War I Presidents of the Cambridge Union Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for the University of Cambridge UK MPs 1922–1923 British Army personnel of World War II Scottish Horse officers People from Cambridge Bletchley Park people Officers of the Order of the British Empire Members of the University of Cambridge faculty of history 20th-century British historians Independent members of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom James Ramsay Regius Professors of History (Cambridge)