Robert N. Butler, MD (January 21, 1927-July 4, 2010): Visionary Leader

The career and accomplishments of Dr. Robert N. Butler highlight the history of postwar gerontology and geriatrics here and abroad. Butler was an idea broker: He introduced life review as a therapeutic intervention and coined ageism. Butler was the only researcher on aging to win a Pulitzer Prize or long after normal retirement lay the foundations for a new gerontology. Butler was an institution builder: he served as first director of the National Institute on Aging, created the first department of geriatric medicine in the United States, and mobilized support here and abroad for global aging. His legacy provides much for successive generations to emulate and enhance.