Robert A. Butkin is an American law professor, academic administrator and politician who served as State Treasurer of Oklahoma from 1995 to 2005. Butkin subsequently served as dean of the

University of Tulsa College of Law The University of Tulsa College of Law is the law school of the private University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. For 2023, ''U.S. News & World Report'' ranked the University of Tulsa College of Law at No. 111 among all law schools in the United S ...

from 2005 until 2007.

Education

Butkin received a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

degree from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in Connecticut, graduating

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...

in 1975 with distinction in history. He received his

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

from the

University of Pennsylvania Law School The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School (also known as Penn Carey Law, or Penn Law; previously University of Pennsylvania Law School) is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania, a private Ivy League research university in Phi ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

in 1978. He was one of 15 Americans named a

Henry Luce Scholar A Luce Scholar is a recipient of a cultural exchange and vocational fellowship sponsored by the Henry Luce Foundation, a private foundation established by Time, Inc. founder Henry R. Luce. The program Founded in 1974, The Luce Scholars Progra ...

in 1978 and served as visiting fellow at the

University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; ) is a Higher education in the Philippines#State universities and colleges, state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by List of Philippine laws, Re ...

Law Center in

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...

Career

Butkin was a professor at the

. Butkin drafted legislation that created Oklahoma's College Savings Plan, and co-chairing the effort to pass two state constitutional amendments that now allow public Oklahoma universities to engage in technology-transfer and commercial development of their own ideas. He also co-chaired the successful effort that created a permanent constitutional trust fund for tobacco-settlement monies. Dean Butkin chaired Governor-elect

Brad Henry Charles Bradford Henry (born July 10, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 26th governor of Oklahoma from 2003 to 2011. A Democrat, he previously served in the Oklahoma Senate from 1992 to 2003. As of 2025, he is the last ...

's transition team, recruiting a bi-partisan group of business, civic and political leaders who assisted the governor in identifying key issues. He has served in various organizations including holding the presidency of the Southern State Treasurers Association. He chaired the Banking, Collateral and Cash Management Committee for the National Association of State Treasurers. Butkin also held the position of assistant attorney general for the state of Oklahoma and was an associate attorney with the Washington, D.C. law firm of Hogan and Hartson.

Personal life

Butkin has three daughters, Olivia Butkin, Julia Butkin, and Claire Butkin.

References

Sources

University of Tulsa College of Law Faculty PagesTU Announces New Law Dean
Living people Year of birth missing (living people) University of Tulsa College of Law faculty Deans of law schools in the United States State treasurers of Oklahoma Oklahoma Democrats Jewish American people in Oklahoma politics University of Pennsylvania Law School alumni Yale College alumni 20th-century Oklahoma politicians 21st-century Oklahoma politicians 21st-century American Jews {{Oklahoma-politician-stub