Joseph G. (Joseph Green) Butler

Born in 1840, Joseph G. Butler Jr. was an American industrialist, philanthropist, and popular historian whose life was closely tied to the rise of Youngstown, Ohio. He helped shape the Mahoning Valley steel industry and later became widely remembered as the founder of the Butler Institute of American Art, which opened in 1919 as the first museum devoted entirely to American art.

Alongside his business and civic work, he wrote books that reflected his interests in industry, history, and current events. His published works include History of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley, Ohio, A Journey Through France in War Time, and Fifty Years of Iron and Steel. These writings give readers a practical, firsthand view of the world he knew, from regional development to the impact of war in Europe.

He died in 1927, leaving behind a reputation not only as a successful steelman and benefactor, but also as a writer who wanted to record the people, industries, and events of his time in an accessible way.