Butler and his wife Louetta pulled a rope that dropped the veil from a statue on Tower Square shortly after noon on Tuesday, the 50th anniversary of his first election day victory.
“Never in my wildest dream would I have imagined anything like this,” Butler said a short time later.
He was certainly speaking of the statue, a project spearheaded by Lifeline Ambulance CEO Kevin McConnell. But he was also likely referring to the 90 minute tribute that took place just prior to the unveiling inside the Marion Cultural and Civic Center.
“We are here today because of (the mayor’s) long and faithful service to Marion,” said Cynthia Campbell Hunt, Marketing Director of the Pavilion of the City of Marion and emcee of the program.
“He puts Marion’s interest ahead of all else. Mayor Butler’s vision is clear and he has worked towards that goal the past 50 years.
“He has a rare quality, most valuable in places of power, in public life and private life, and that’s common sense.”
Yolonde Peterson also has an impressive resume of service to Marion, most recently as Chair of the civic center board.
“I’ve known Bob Butler since high school, but after the devastation of the civic center by arson (in 1997), I came to know Robert L. Butler, the mayor,” Peterson said.
The two worked together to make the new civic center an anchor of the downtown district.
The Honorable G. Patrick Murphy Federal District Judge called Butler finest public servant he has known.
“When people say the mayor had Interstate 57, that made all the difference. Well, so did Cairo, so did Johnston City, so did West Frankfort, so did Benton. They did not have Mayor Robert Butler,” said Judge Murphy.
“The mayor brought this community into the modern world and I might add with very little drama. It is a remarkable thing that he was able to do that.
“The mayor was never a person who had to draw attention to himself to get a job done.”
During his time at the podium, Butler deflected credit for Marion’s growth.
“It has been a monumental group effort, team effort,” he said.
“It’s been a long journey, many, many good things have happened, great things. I found out that a community is always moving one way or another. It is either moving forward or sliding backwards. It is never going to stand still. The town that decides it wants to stand still is a town that is on the verge of dying. So, it’s always been my view that we ought to do everything we can to be progressive, to look forward, to have vision, to be realistic.
“It’s okay to dream, but be sure that your feet are on the ground and that has always been my philosophy.”
“I must say that I have never viewed myself as a politician. I looked upon myself as a private citizen who has an interest in public service.”
—————————–Daily Republican article By Leichan Cleary and Bill Swinford
Picture in your mind a small Southern Illinois town set in the midst of a depressed economy with few jobs available. Many of its people are depressed, bordering on despondent, lacking in hope for the future.
The promise that this community once held has faded after a series of economic and natural disasters rocked the town in recent years. The mines have closed, a crumbling business district has no means — or desire — to revive, and a serious lack of leadership in local government results in a lack of a cohesive vision and a bounty of frustrated town officials, all seeking to “take control.”
They are too busy backbiting to be forward-thinking.
Set near a major thoroughfare, the potential seemed boundless not that long ago. But no one could rally the troops, take the lead, point the way. A huge budget deficit leaves no money for infrastructure improvements, and the crumbling streets and sewers prevent any major employers from taking an interest.
It’s a town stuck in a downward cycle.
Unfortunately, this is a scenario that is not far from the truth for some local communities. And it could be Marion’s reality, too, except …
Except for the fact that a new mayor took office 40 years ago, determined to erase a budget deficit and take advantage of a brand new interstate highway running right along the city limits.
Except for the fact that this same man wouldn’t take no for an answer and eventually found the funding to stop floodwaters and weather disasters from buckling his city.
Except for the fact that his leadership style has been to stand firm on the most important issues while bending to encourage and help along others seeking to make a better community.
What makes Marion different from so many other Southern Illinois communities? One very big reason is the city’s mayor since 1963, Robert L. Butler.
In Monday’s edition of The Marion Daily Republican, we pay tribute to the mayor’s 50th consecutive year of service. He was elected exactly 50 years ago, April 16, 1963, with 2,914 votes to 2,227 for then-incumbent Robert Cooksey.
We feel a kinship with the mayor, and not just because his father Homer was a popular columnist for The Daily Republican for decades. Mayor Bob Butler and The Daily Republican have both been present to experience the devastating disasters and tremendous successes that have marked his tenure. And, we hope, we’ve been a strong supporter of his efforts to make Marion the true “Hub of the Universe.”
————– Daily Republican article by Bill Swinford