Frank Osgood Butler

Born in Chicago on April 22, 1861, Frank Osgood Butler was the son of Julius Wales Butler, a co-founder of the J. W. Butler Paper Company. He later led the family paper business and became known not only as an industrialist, but also as a major landowner whose holdings contributed to the development of what became Oak Brook, Illinois.

Butler is also remembered as the author of The Story of Paper-Making, a book that traces the craft and industry of paper from its early history to modern production. That writing fits naturally with his professional life, since papermaking was the business that shaped both his career and public identity.

Outside industry and writing, he was associated with Oak Brook Farm and with philanthropy in the community, including donating land for the Butler School. He died in 1955, leaving behind a legacy tied to business, local history, and the story of American papermaking.