1862-1947
President of Columbia University

Accomplishments.

Nicholas Murray Butler was instrumental in remaking Columbia College into Columbia University during his tenure as a philosophy professor (1885-1901) and as the university's president (1902- 1945). Under his leadership in the 1920s and 1930s, Columbia University experienced tremendous growth in staff, students, and facilities. Butler founded the Teachers College as a key part of the university in 1889, and during the 1920s he hired John Dewey, William Heard Kilpatrick, and George S. Counts to teach in the Teachers College. Butler also worked to standardize college-entrance and teacher-certification requirements. In addition, he was active in national and international politics, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931 for his work on the Pact of Paris.

Early Career.

Butler was born into a middle-class family in Elizabeth, New Jersey. After graduating from Paterson High School at the age of thirteen, he continued his studies...