Joseph G. Butler, Jr.
| Joseph G. Butler, Jr. | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
December 21, 1840 Mercer County, Pennsylvania |
| Died | December 20, 1927 (aged 86) Youngstown, Ohio |
| Occupation | Industrialist |
| Known for | Butler Institute of American Art |
| Title | Director, American Iron and Steel Institute |
Joseph Green Butler, Jr. (December 21, 1840 – December 20, 1927) was an American industrialist, philanthropist, and popular historian. He is remembered primarily for establishing the first museum in the United States dedicated solely to American art.
He was born in the industrial town of Temperance Furnace, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, the son of Joseph Green and Temperance (Orwig) Butler. His family's presence in the country traced back to the period preceding the American Revolution. Joseph G. Butler, Jr.'s Anglo-Irish ancestors emigrated from the vicinity of Dublin to colonial America in 1759. According to Joseph G. Butler, Jr.'s obituary, his father, Joseph Green Butler, was a "widely known iron manufacturer and blast furnace expert". His grandfather, Joseph Butler, established the first blast furnace in central Pennsylvania. When Butler was still a child, his family relocated to Niles, Ohio, where he attended a village school along with future president William McKinley.
Butler became involved in the iron business at the age of 30. In time, his industrial activities centered on Youngstown, Ohio, where he became a pivotal figure in the community's transition from iron to steel production. In 1892, he joined local industrialist Henry Wick in the organization of the Ohio Steel Company, which built two Bessemer plants along the Mahoning River, just northwest of Youngstown. The company went into production in 1895, only to be sold four years later to the Pittsburgh-based National Steel Company. In 1901, the local plant became the Ohio Works of the Carnegie Steel Company, part of the U.S. Steel Corporation.
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