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Press ReleaseSamuel C. Butler to Succeed Marshall Rose as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The New York Public LibraryMay 19, 1999, New York City: The Board of Trustees of The New York Public Library announced that, effective today, Samuel C. Butler will succeed Marshall Rose as Chairman of the Library's Board of Trustees."After serving on the Board of Trustees for 20 years, Sam has a profound understanding of the Library's workings and the needs of its users," said Mr. Rose. "He has been an active member of a number of committees responsible for the Library's extraordinary progress -- most recently chairing the Executive Committee. He brings commitment, intellectual vigor, and strong management ability to his work at the Library, and will be an effective leader in its second century of service." Library President Paul LeClerc said, "Like his remarkable recent predecessors -- Richard Salomon, Andrew Heiskell, Liz Rohatyn, and Marshall Rose -- Sam Butler is dedicated to New York City's renowned library and to its strategic plan for growth. With Sam's assistance, we will continue to build our magisterial collections, to refurbish and renovate our facilities, and to maintain our historic mission of providing free access to our resources for readers, who now can be found all over the world thanks to information technologies. Sam Butler will make a magnificent Chairman of the Library." "As a boy growing up in Indiana, I regarded libraries as places of imagination,
ideas, and education," said Mr. Butler. "The New York Public Library is all
that and more -- serving as civilization's collective memory, as well as its
foundation and guidepost for the future. It is crucial that the Library continue
to build on traditional resources and services, while moving confidently into
the future. In partnership with the Library's staff and Trustees, I expect to
help secure that future with projects that protect donor investment in the Library
and ensure the institution's growth and health." Samuel C. ButlerSamuel C. Butler, 69, is a law partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, where he served as presiding partner from 1980 to January of this year. He began his legal career as a clerk to Justice Sherman Minton of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1954. After serving in the United States Army, Mr. Butler became an associate of Cravath, Swaine & Moore in 1956, and was elected a partner in 1960, doing general corporate work, now specializing in mergers and acquisitions and transactional matters. He served as Cravath's chief executive officer longer than any other partner, with the exception of Paul D. Cravath.Mr. Butler represented Time Inc. in its merger with Warner Communications, and made headlines in 1995 when, in a single weekend, he handled ABC/Cap Cities' purchase by Walt Disney Co. and Westinghouse's acquisition of CBS. He is the only attorney to have negotiated two major network sales at the same time, and in doing so effectively redefined the traditional role of lawyers in mergers and acquisitions."I have always been drawn to the business side of the legal profession," said Mr. Butler, "and have derived great satisfaction from long-term relationships with corporate clients to which I am able to provide advice and counsel on both business and legal matters that lead to the accomplishment of their goals and to their continued growth." Other major corporate clients include Bristol-Myers Squibb, Ashland, and PaineWebber. He serves as a Director of Ashland Inc., U.S. Trust Corporation, and Millipore Corporation, and is a former director of GEICO Corporation and Olin Corporation. Mr. Butler is quietly referred to in the legal community as the "dean of the corporate bar." In a Crain's New York Business 1997 survey on leaders, he saw his legacy as "helping to maintain the professional standards of my law firm," where he is viewed as a tough and effective leader. Mr. Butler became a Trustee of The New York Public Library in 1979 at the invitation of former Chairman Andrew Heiskell. Until his appointment as Chairman of the Board, he served as Chairman of the Executive Committee, and currently heads the Nominating and Compensation committees. As past Chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee, he played a role in shaping the Library's institutional plan for its second century of service. "I like to think that I helped bring greater focus to the proposal that was put before the committee, and helped the Library to move forward on many critical initiatives," said Mr. Butler. In addition to his involvement with The New York Public Library, Mr. Butler serves as Vice President of the Board of Trustees of The Culver Educational Foundation, which supports his alma mater, the Culver Academies, and as a member of the Dean's Advisory Board of the Harvard Law School. He is a former member of the Board of Trustees of Vassar College, the Board of Overseers of Harvard College (of which he was President from 1986-8), and the Board of Trustees of the American Museum of Natural History. Mr. Butler was born in Logansport, Indiana, where he developed a passion for books as a boy at the local Carnegie library, and volunteered for part-time duty as a librarian during his elementary years. "Even today, I am a voracious reader," he admits, "particularly of biographies and history. I am usually surrounded by stacks of books." A devoted family man, he is married to the former Sally Thackston of Huntington, West Virginia, and has three children -- Samuel C. Butler, Jr., Leigh Flynn (Brown), and Elizabeth Jane (Boissard) -- and eight grandchildren -- all of whom live in the New York metropolitan area. Mr. and Mrs. Butler reside in New York City and Litchfield County, CT. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Mr. Butler is being honored this spring at
graduation where he will receive the Harvard Law School Association Award. He
is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard College, where he also played varsity
football. Marshall RoseMarshall Rose, 62, has actively promoted the Library's role in New York as a provider of essential cultural and educational services, and focused attention on the institution's need for growth in order to meet the changing demands of its millions of users worldwide. Mr. Rose has been Chairman of the Board of The New York Public Library twice in the last ten years. He first became Chairman in 1990, was succeeded in 1995 by Elizabeth Rohatyn until she was called to Paris when her husband was named the American Ambassador to France, and then returned as Chairman in 1997."Throughout his chairmanship, Mr. Rose has served as a tireless, visionary advocate for The New York Public Library and the millions of patrons who pass through its doors every year," said Paul LeClerc. "Advances made and initiatives pursued under his leadership have positioned The New York Public Library as one of the world's leading institutions with collections, facilities, technology, and services worthy of such high distinction. Mr. Rose's commitment to the Library is a truly inspiring example of public service and volunteerism -- to an institution, to a city, and to readers throughout the world." The following are some highlights that occurred during Mr. Rose's tenure as Chairman: Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL)
Encouraged the creation of the largest Information Technology system of any library in the world, consisting of:
"In turning over the reins to our new Chairman, Sam Butler, I feel confident
that the Library is in the best possible hands," added Mr. Rose. "Sam is a business
and philanthropic leader of national stature, who will effectively complement
Paul, forming a very powerful partnership."
nd/cmo/rc: 5-19-99 thoerenz: pro: 05-19-99 |