John D. Butler

Who was John D. Butler?

John D. Butler was an American Republican politician from California. John Butler was born in San Diego and played football at San Diego State, where he was named an All-American. He was a transactional lawyer. During World War II, he served as a in the United States Navy.

Butler was mayor of San Diego, a nonpartisan position, from 1951 until 1955. He was the first "native son" mayor and the youngest mayor in city history. During his tenure as mayor, he was responsible for initiating the one-way street system in downtown San Diego and began the development of Mission Bay. He guest starred as himself on two CBS television series, the variety program, Faye Emerson's Wonderful Town, and What's My Line?. In the latter, a quiz program, broadcast on October 5th, 1952, panelist Arlene Francis guessed Butler's identity. San Diego politics is the subject of an interview with Butler, which is included in the Oral History Collection of the San Diego Historical Society. Butler lived in the Point Loma area of San Diego during the last decades of his life and was active at the San Diego Yacht Club and La Playa Yacht Club.