Jon Butler

Honorary Degree Recipient

Doctor of Science
College of Liberal Arts, December 10, 2006

Jon Butler, Graduate Dean of Arts and Science at Yale University, received his bachelor's degree (1964) and Ph.D. (1972) in history from the University of Minnesota. Described as a historian's historian, he has shaped the field of American history and American religious history. He is considered an extraordinary teacher, scholar, and educational leader. During his tenure at Yale, he has been named to two illustrious, endowed chairs: the William Robertson Coe Professor of American Studies and History and the Howard R. Lamar Professor of American Studies, History, and Religious Studies. He is the author and co-author of several books and articles. He has presented more than 80 papers, lectures, and keynote addresses nationally and internationally. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including the Beveridge Award of the American Historical Association (for the best book in American history), the Outler Prize of the American Society of Church History, the Theodore Saloutos Prize of the Immigration History Society, and the Gilbert Chinard Prize of the Society for French Historical Studies. His book Awash in a Sea of Faith: Christianizing the American People was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in history. Even though he has been away from Minnesota for decades, he has deep loyalties to the University and the state.

Biographies are as-of time of award presentation.