Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The F. O. Butler Foundation was established as a trust associated with South Dakota State University to manage and administer assets derived from the estate and property of F. O. Butler. A formal trust agreement was carried out in 1968, providing a legal framework for its operation. The foundation held interests in the F. O. Butler Ranch, Inc., commonly known as the 7-11 Ranch, and these holdings were used in connection with its financial and administrative activities. The foundation was involved in institutional development and planning at the university during the late 1960s and 1970s.
F. O. Butler was a Chicago-based businessman in the paper industry who later developed agricultural operations in South Dakota, where he raised polo ponies and Hereford cattle on multiple ranches, including the 7-11 Ranch. Following the establishment of the foundation, its assets supported projects connected to South Dakota State University, including the development of Butler Plaza between 1977 and 1980. The foundation functioned as the administrative entity through which Butler’s property and related assets were managed in support of the university.