BUTLER, SIR MILO B. (aka Sir Milo Boughton Butler, NH, GCMG, GCVO, 11 August 1906–22 January 1979), a Bahamian politician and Nassau merchant known for his gift for fiery oration. Butler entered electoral politics as a member of the Progressive Liberal Party in 1936. Despite his popularity as the Black working-class candidate, his opponent, Sir Harry Oakes, allegedly employed problematic methods to win the election. The following year Butler was elected to parliament as a representative of the Western District of New Providence, where he served for a decade. In 1956 the government imposed a limit on parliamentary speeches. In opposition, Butler threw the time-keeping hourglass out a window of the House of Assembly. That same year, he returned as a member of the parliament representing the same constituency. He served as a parliamentary member for another decade. After occupying various roles—including Minister of Health and Welfare and Minister of Labour, Agriculture, and Fisheries—on August 1, 1973, he was appointed the second Governor-General of the Bahamas by Queen Elizabeth II. He served in this capacity until he died in 1979.
Sir Milo Butler was a staunch defender of the poor, the disenfranchised, and Black constituencies. He was integral to the growth of the Progressive Liberal Party and is recognized for a tenure—centered on racial inequality— in Bahamian politics that spans more than thirty-five years. He is recognized as a national hero in the Bahamas.