Richard Austen Butler, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden, known as R. A. Butler or by his initials as Rab, lived from December 9, 1902 to March 8, 1982 and was a prominent British Conservative Party politician, effectively deputy prime minister to Anthony Eden and Harold Macmillan though he held that formal title only briefly in 1962 and 1963. As a junior minister he helped pass the Government of India Act 1935. Entering the Cabinet in 1941, he served as President of the Board of Education from 1941 to 1945 and oversaw the Education Act 1944, then served as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Home Secretary, First Secretary of State, and Foreign Secretary, one of only two British politicians to have served in three of the four Great Offices of State without becoming prime minister. He retired from politics in 1965 and served as Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, until 1978.
Facts
RoleConservative Party politician; effectively Deputy Prime Minister 2 Nationality / Jurisdiction Classification
Field of Law Role
Role (category) In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Rab Butler (Wikipedia)
2. Rab Butler, Wikipedia
Early life
Richard Austen Butler was born 9 December 1902 in Attock, British India, the eldest son of Montagu Sherard Dawes Butler, a member of the Indian Civil Service, and Anne Smith.
Lead paragraph
was a prominent British Conservative Party politician
Introduction, role
Richard Austen Butler, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden, also known as R. A. Butler and familiarly known from his initials as Rab, was a prominent British Conservative Party politician; he was effectively deputy prime minister to Anthony Eden and Harold Macmillan.
View the SourceReader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.