
“I can only tell you that what’s gotten me where I am is hard work and it’s a lot easier, physically, to do hard work with a college degree.”īutler will graduate with a bachelor’s degree at ninety-six, making her the oldest graduate in SUU history. “My advice works for me, I’m not sure it works for everybody else,” said Butler. Her mistakes have taught her the value of hard work and education. SUU’s Prior Learning Assessment offers up to fifteen credit hours to students based on their previous experience, giving Butler the opportunity to turn years of practice into credits toward her degree.īutler’s deep and rich life has taught her many lessons, most of which she says she learned from failure. I was the first woman hired on the road, and then I trained other women.”Īs she returns to school, Butler is able to earn credit for much of her life experience in addition to the credit she earned when she first attended SUU.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re calling the president of the company with an audience of one or performing on stage with an audience of five thousand, it’s the same. “Working in sales is a lot like theatre,” Butler said. Butler eventually left school to work full-time in the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s costume shop for nine years, leaving when she was seventy-eight years old.īutler then took to travel, making several trips to Europe with her daughter as well as traveling within the country, both to visit family and to achieve her goal of spending a night in each state.ĭuring her time outside of school, Butler raised a family of six, most of whom are now spread throughout the country, worked as a seminary teacher for eleven years, as well as teaching cosmetics, and is proud to say she was the first female advertising space saleswoman in her company. Even the comments that they put on my papers online have just been so nice.”Īfter originally joining the theatre department, Butler found herself working in the costume shop, where she was able to apply her childhood understanding of sewing to create costumes for shows at SUU. Every place I’ve gone on campus has just been wonderful to me. “I realize I’m no expert on it, but I think you learn so much more. “I think the classroom experience is much better, personally,” said Butler. While overwhelming, this change has brought about a more personalized and encouraging classroom for Butler. The student population has also grown from roughly 6,000 students in 1989 to more than 11,000 students currently registered. Since first attending in 1989, the campus has more than doubled in size with the construction of over a dozen new buildings including the Science Center, the Library, the Physical Education Building, Motorpool, Alumni House, and the Costume Shop. Everybody’s afraid, it takes courage for all of us to face it.”Īs she looks back on her life, Butler has been able to reflect on her interactions with SUU. One must have enough courage to face whatever comes and the determination to persist in life. “I think, personally, the most beautiful word in the English language is courage,” said Butler. Returning to school has taken a lot of courage for Butler, but coming back has been a challenge she is more than willing to face. “At the age of 92 years, I am scared to death to go back to school to earn my degree but I am here and determined.”īutler first attended SUU in her late sixties, where she originally planned to study history and political science, but an invite from a fellow student to be a part of a play set her on a course toward majoring in theater. “One thing I have learned in life is that if your dreams don’t scare you to death - they are not big enough,” said Butler. Butler has decided to fix her attention on a new accolade finishing her bachelor’s degree in theatre at Southern Utah University.
#MARY BUTLER AGE FULL#
Furthermore, she was the first recipient city in the United States to have a 100% foreign-financed business incubator with assistance from the European Union.At ninety-two years old, Mary Butler has lived a full life, but she is far from finished reaching her goals. In late 2004, she was named as a Member First Class of the Royal Order of the Polar Star by the King of Sweden. She received recognition in 1998 by Sister Cities International as having the “Best First Year Program Worldwide” for cities under 100,000. CareerĪs a mayor, she became a Sister City to Solleftea, Sweden. Hawkin was elected in the office at the age of twenty-eight, she is one of the longest-serving mayors in the United States. Currently, she is serving her tenth consecutive four-year term. Moreover, she is commonly known as “Mother Mary-Jane”. Mary Hawkins Butler is an American politician who has served as the Republican Party mayor of Madison in suburban Jackson, Missippi since 1981.
