Nicholas Murray Butler
 

Morgan. He too sought an empire, and under¬
stood as well as any man the growing power of the
research university as a defining social and cultur¬
al institution in a country that was poised to take
over world leadership. It is particularly interesting
in this regard that Morgan (or so Buder alleged),
no doubt sensing the kinship between them,
offered Butler the presidency of the Erie railroad.
(Controlling an empire that was arguably more
influential even than Morgan's, however, Butier
was not overly tempted to trade in his cultural cap¬
ital for railroad shares.)

Extolling Butler on the occasion of his eighti¬
eth birthday, his friend Charles D. Hilles pointed
out that "It is indispensable that a man, to become
great or famous, shall represent in a well-defined
way the general aspirations of his times." Butier's
life perfectly illustrates the correctness of Hilles'
claim. In all of his idiosyncrasy, Butier is at the
same time a wonderfully representative figure
of the first half of our century. Rediscovering
for this age the complex career of a man whose
importance was explicitly understood by his con¬
temporaries should help us better understand the
character of the age that nourished him.
 

c^   11    ^