Anne M. Butler, Denver, Colorado: an interview by Greg Smoak, 4 October 2012

Transcript (29 pages) of an interview by Greg Smoak with Anne M. Butler at Denver, Colorado, on 4 October 2012. Part of the Western History Association Oral History Project, Everett Cooley Collection tape no. U-3168

Emeritus professor of history at Utah State University, Anne Butler, remembers her academic career with emphasis on her membership in the Western Historical Association and her time as editor of the WHA´s organ the Western Historical Quarterly. Raised in Massachusetts, Dr. Butler discovered her love of the West and Western history in childhood, and, as a single mother of two in the 1960s, embarked on a college career that started at Towson State University and led her to a PhD at the University of Maryland. She worked closely with Walter Rundell and Richard Farrell at Maryland, and throughout the interview discusses Rundell´s scholarship, his manner with students, and his work in the WHA. Dr. Rundell was responsible for Dr. Butler´s own entry into the WHA, and she gave her first paper at the San Diego conference in 1979. She replaced Chaz Peterson at Utah State University in 1988 with Clyde Milnerôs encouragement, and indeed credits him with making her academic experience and her entire time in Logan until his departure wonderful. Dr. Butler retired from USU to give David Lewis room to grow as editor, but also because Dr. Milner had already left. Her work for the WHQ spanned fourteen years, and she professionalized the establishment as well as gearing the journal up for online access and publication. She remembers the WHQ being the only small journal to join History Co-op at first, alongside the bigger names. Dr. Butler also made a concerted effort at the WHQ to reach out to Hispanic and women scholars. She mentions the journal´s emphasis on cutting-edge research and notes the rise of graduate students´ work in the publication. She mentions a number of fine graduate students the WHQ sponsored with fellowships, and discusses the process. In 2012 Dr. Butler received the WHA´s Award of Merit. Project: Western History Association. Interviewer: Greg Smoak