John Butterfield, Baron Butterfield

Who was John Butterfield, Baron Butterfield?

William John Hughes Butterfield, Baron Butterfield OBE FRCP was a leading British medical researcher, clinician and administrator.

He was educated at Solihull School, an historic independent school in the West Midlands. Whilst at Solihull he was Head Boy, Head of CCF and captain of rugby, cricket, hockey and athletics. Following studies at Oxford, he benefited from a two-year Rockefeller Foundation Scholar grant to study at Johns Hopkins University, where he gained a further medical degree. After this, national military service awaited him. He spent it as an officer in the Army Physiological Unit and Deputy Director for Scientific Research. He subsequently returned to the United States, to a fellowship at the Medical College of Virginia at Richmond. From these auspicious beginnings his career was on a steady course.

He continued his sporting passions while at Oxford, becoming a triple blue.

Over the years he was appointed to many commissions in the United Kingdom and elsewhere and his prestige was considerable. Among his professional research interests was diabetes mellitus. His appointments included one as Professor of Experimental Medicine at Guy's Hospital. In 1970 his career was boosted considerably when he was invited to accept the position of Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham.