A professor of law at the University of Texas from 1964 until his death on 19 Sept. 1981, Woodfin L. Butte was a specialist in international law, particularly Mexican and civil law, and published several law review articles and a casebook on Mexican civil law. He graduated from Yale Law School in 1931, and later practiced law in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Caracas, Venezuela. From 1939 until 1964, he worked as an attorney and executive for Standard Oil of New Jersey and its subsidiaries, and traveled and worked throughout Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East. Butte came to The University of Texas as a Visiting Professor of Law and Research Associate in the Center for Latin American Studies in 1964, was appointed Professor of Law in 1965, and took emeritus status in 1975. Born on 1 Nov. 1908, Butte was the son of George C. Butte, dean of the UT School of Law 1923-1924.
Several files of clippings and unpublished writings deal with the Arab-Israeli conflict. Also present is an edited, unpublished typescript entitled "A Civil Law Reader: being code extracts and cases from France and Mexico and other Civil-Law countries, selected, translated and edited for a first-year course-book in Comparative Law, or for the General Reader; with text and notes," which includes annotations apparently by a publisher's reviewer. In addition, there is a large folded color map of the Middle East, Butte's curriculum vitae, and several figurines and other curios from Latin America.
Woodfin L. Butte Papers, Tarlton Law Library, University of Texas at Austin.
Typescript of "A Civil Law Reader" transferred by Professor Hans W. Baade, 2/6/95. Other materials apparently gathered from Butte's Law School office following his death.
NOTE: shelved in 6.219A, range labeled ARTIFACTS