Page last updated on June 12, 2025 at 10:23 pm
Interpretive sign text written by Elizabeth Mitchell and Erin Carter and developed in partnership with the Monroe County History Center
September-December, 2024
Reverend Ernest D. Butler (October 11,1913-April 5, 2003) was born in Connersville, Indiana. He graduated from Connersville High School in 1931 and attended a number of different colleges in Indiana and Kentucky.
Butler moved to Bloomington in 1959, where he served as the pastor of the Second Baptist Church for 43 years. While at Second Baptist, Butler began working with the Southeastern Baptist Youth Camp in Greensburg, Indiana. The camp was created in 1946 specifically to host African American children from different parts of the state. Butler rented a week at the camp for the children of Second Baptist Church, and called it "Butler Camp" week. This gave an opportunity for underrepresented children to experience camping, fishing, and other outdoor activities while also attending classes and church services. In addition, Butler acted as the Moderator of the Southeastern District of the National Baptist Congress for 26 years.
When Butler arrived in Bloomington, racist hiring practices within the public school system and in large manufacturing companies such as RCA, Westinghouse Electric Company, and General Electric limited the number of local places where Black people could work. Housing was also segregated in Bloomington, and mortgage lenders widely redlined Black-populated neighborhoods, further restricting places where Black people could live and purchase housing. Butler sought to disrupt these tactics by requesting federal government intervention to enforce the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination in hiring practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Butler even recruited white churches in Bloomington to work toward eliminating this discrimination by personally contacting each church's minister.
Butler was instrumental in influencing the Monroe County Community School Corporation to hire its first Black teacher, LaVerta Terry, in 1962. He also organized the Indiana Fair Housing Commission, which led protests urging the Indiana state legislature to pass a crucial amendment to the Indiana Civil Rights Law in 1965. This landmark amendment prohibited redlining and other discriminatory housing practices based on race, marking a significant step toward fair housing in the state.
Butler cemented his legacy as a voice of courage and compassion in Bloomington following the shooting death of 24-year-old former Indiana University football player Denver Smith, a Black man, by Bloomington police officers on Sept. 12, 1983. Butler, then-Mayor of Bloomington Tomilea Allison, and President of the Monroe County Chapter of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Clarence Gilliam worked together to advocate for peace, and to encourage City officials to hire more Black police officers.
Butler served the people of Bloomington as a member of numerous boards and commissions, including the Bloomington Hospital Advisory Board and the Bloomington Traffic Commission. He organized the Bloomington Human Rights and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration Commissions. Butler also served as Bloomington Township Trustee, and on the Board of Commissioners of the Bloomington Housing Authority for 28 years-22 years of those as Chair. Through these affiliations, he played a fundamental role in establishing low-income housing developments for local families.
Reverend Ernest D. Butler often referred to himself, and was recognized by others, as a “rebel with a cause.” Committed to promoting equality in Bloomington, he faced threats from groups opposed to racial integration and equality. Despite these challenges, Butler remained steadfast in his efforts, working to secure equal employment, fair housing, and broader opportunities for future generations.
Butler married Mary L. Jones (April 26, 1913-May 24, 2003) of Lima, Ohio in 1933 and they had eight children together. Mary created her own sphere of influence teaching Sunday school at the Second Baptist Church. She also formed a local chapter of the Sunshine Band, an organization that provided guidance and support to pre-teen children. Her career as a nurse spanned 15 years.
Butler was inducted into the Monroe County Hall of Fame in 2002 in recognition of his tireless work for social justice, economic liberty and racial equality. West Ninth Street Park, a place frequently visited by Butler and his family, and where the Second Baptist Church often hosted services consisting of music, sermons, food, and fellowship, was renamed Reverend Ernest D. Butler Park by the City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department in 2005.
Not only did Butler dedicate his life to improving the lives of others throughout the state, but he was also a devoted minister, husband and father. The Butler's legacy of selfless service to the people in their neighborhood, community, state, and nation is gratefully acknowledged by everyone whose lives were impacted by their work.