A. Ronald Button

Who was A. Ronald Button?

A. Ronald Button was a U.S. Republican politician and California State Treasurer.

Button was born in Plainview, Nebraska and graduated from Stanford University and Harvard Law School. In 1928, he began to practice in Hollywood, where he had a number of celebrity clients, including Hedy Lamarr and Thelma Todd. He specialized in corporate and business law. In Sept. 1931, he married actress Gladys McConnell, and they had a daughter, Mary Barbara Button, now known as Barbara McAllister. During World War II, he was a major in the Army Signal Corps motion picture division, spending much of his duty time at Hal Roach Studios with actor Ronald Reagan.

Button was Republican State Central Committee chairman in 1953, when he was selected for the Republican National Committee in which he remained for three years. On Nov. 1, 1956, California Governor Goodwin Knight appointed him state treasurer, succeeding Charles G. Johnson, who retired after 34 years in office amid a dispute with Gov. Knight and allegations of funneling state funds for personal use.

After he left state government in 1959, Button was a key developer of Rancho Mirage near Palm Springs.