Evening star., 1950-11-08
Butler Victory CIimoxes Success Story

John Marshall Butler, who vii,
represent Maryland in the United
States Senate, is a Baltimore sue
cess story.
His surprising victory yesterday
over veteran Senator Millard E.
TydingS. third ranking Democrat
in the Senate. is another triumph
on Mr.. Buffers record which looks
like an unbroken succession of
successes.
Theodore r. McKeldin, Mary
lands new governor, who scored
an even more impressive victory
over his Democratic opponent
Gov. William Preston Lane. jr., is
well known in the State. This was
the third time, the former mayor
of Baltimore had campaigned the
State for its highest office.
But Mr.. Butler was an unknown
outside of Baltimore. His story
has an Horatio Alger quality with
a few modern touches. A poor boy
who went to work in a factory at
IL. he managed to put himself
through Johns Hopkins where he
was an outstanding tackle on the
football team; he married the
daughter of a wealthy and socially
prominent Baltimore family and
became partner Of one of its lead
ing law firms.
No Isolationist, Friends Say.
Mr.. Butler was guarded about
declaring himself on foreign
policy during the campaign. But
his friends say that Maryland has
elected no isolationist. Before he
got himself nominated he made
no secret about how he stood on
the Marshall Plan. on the Allan
tic pact and on arming Western
Europe. He was for them all.
Until six years ago when q
spinal disk skipped and he had to
undergo an operation. he was one
of the best golfers at the Balti-
more Country Club. He turned in
scores in the low 70s again and
again.
He can still break IS anytime
he wants to, according to his ad-
mirers.
After 18 holes, he often plays q
few rounds Of bridge at the club.
and he is said to be a keen man
at the card table.
Members Of the Senate better
look out" said one of Mr.. Buffers
admirers. "a very good poker
player is joining their exclusive
club"
He also is q member Of Balti-
more's exclusive Maryland Club.
Was Successful Before Juries.
His political advisers feared that
his previous success would count
against him during the campaign.
They kept cautioning him not talk
down to his audiences. The advice
probably was unnecessary. Mr..
Butler was trial lawyer for years.
and he had made many q sue
cessful appeal to juries.
Much Of Mr.. Buffers life has
oeen an uphill battle. The Johns
Hopkins University yearbook says
this of its former football star:
Whatever John tackles. he tackles
hard"
Born in Baltimore on July Al,
1897, he sold newspapers rs boy
and then took a job in q mattress
factory at So week to help with
the family income. He started
high school but family finances
forced him to quit and take q job
as office boy.
Served In World War I.
When World War I broke, he
went overseas with the 10th Field
Artillery of the 29th Division. He
was overseas rs months and came
back a corporal.
He studied nights to make up
lost schooling so he could enter
Johns Hopkins, where he stayed
for two years before going into
the real estate business with his
father.
BY that time he had decided
10 become a lawyer and continued
at night at the Univer-
sity of Maryland Law School un-
I'll he received his degree.
He was admitted to the bar in
1926 and became associated with
the Baltimore firm of Veneble,
& Howard In 1927. Twelve
years later he became a partner.
Was Recommended for Bench.
. In 1946 he was among those
recommended by the Baltimore
City Bar Association to I'LL a va