Broadus O. Butler Sr., 1923 - 2021 Community Remembers Man Who Became 1st Black Public School Superintendent

Broadus Butler Jr. stayed by his father's side with his family at the patriarch's home in Summerton.

Butler Jr. lived with his father for the last two years as Dad's health declined. His sisters, Anita Diane Butler-McCollom and Melony Butler, along with his son, Broadus Butler III, gave their farewell during his last few days. Butler III said his grandfather had a warm, placid smile on his face as he looked at his beloved children and grandchild.

Surrounded by loved ones, Broadus O. Butler Sr., South Carolina's first Black public school district superintendent, passed away peacefully at his home on the evening of July 19. He was 97.

Family, friends and former colleagues now mourn Butler Sr. - dubbed Summerton's "Joe Clark" from the movie Lean on Me - a former educator who changed the course of history of public education in Clarendon County and in South Carolina.

Butler Jr., 64, remembers driving around with his dad in their family's white 1962 Chevrolet Nova. The oldest son recalled an important lesson taught by his dad when he was about 12 years old: You respect everybody, and by doing so, you have respect for yourself.

Butler called his father a "low-key, humble and spiritual man" who did everything he could to provide for his family.

Born in 1923, Butler - known as B.O. - grew up in the city of Simpsonville with his five siblings and his parents, Edward and Janetta Butler, in Greenville County. After attending public school in Greenville County, he attended South Carolina State University, where he earned a degree in agriculture and later his master's degree. He moved to Summerton in 1949.

He began his career as principal at St. Paul Training School in Summerton. He then became a teacher and later principal of Scott's Branch High School from 1956 to 1971.

He made history in 1971 when he was appointed superintendent of Summerton-based Clarendon School District 1, making him the first Black superintendent in the state.

A group of school board members approached Butler at his house about becoming superintendent. He was at a loss for words, Butler Jr. said, but he eventually took on the responsibility, not a light one in the community home to Briggs v. Elliott, a 1950 case that became one of the five to form Brown v. Board of Education, whose 1954 Supreme Court decision ruled segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.

However, a whole ordeal of challenges awaited him.

"There was the pressure of a Black man going to an all-white office of women back during that time," his son said.

Butler Jr. remembers his father telling him that when he first got there, everyone was "quiet and a little standoffish," not knowing how to interact with him.

His son said he even feared for his dad's life at times after hearing and seeing malice toward his father. He sometimes sat behind his office in the bleachers just to watch over him.

"I was scared," he said. "I didn't want anything to happen to him."

He only stayed until his father left the office and then dashed home after school.

As superintendent, Butler Sr. encountered opposition from staff and the community as he dealt with issues in the district. According to Butler Jr., his dad discovered that Scott's Branch High was not receiving the necessary funding allocated by the federal government.

"Scott's Branch was in the red, and I remember my dad said he had to cut everything back and couldn't do things that you normally would do," Butler Jr. said.

Butler Sr. managed to get Scott's Branch out of debt, along with other changes, Butler Jr. said. Butler Sr. continued to serve as superintendent for seven years. His children remembered many nights when he would come home after work and sit in his chair with a pipe in his mouth, watching the fish in their aquarium.

He resumed his position as principal at Scott's Branch until he retired in 1984. Afterward, he served for years on the CSD1 board and spent his time farming, his family said.

They said he was a true "country man" who loved planting, raising livestock and driving through the countryside.

Butler III said he remembers the times he spent with his grandfather during the summer playing piano, worshipping, cooking, feeding the livestock and baking their favorite dessert, blueberry cobbler, together on their farm.

"He treated me like I was his son, and for me," he said, "it felt like a loss of a parent."

His grandfather's love of cigars even passed on to him, he said, along with his teachings and life lessons.

Many family members said one of his favorite sayings was, "May what I do speak so loud that you can't hear a word I am saying," a phrase they cherish to this day.

Kathleen Gibson, a Scott's Branch High alumna, also spoke about her former principal.

She said he was a father, friend and teacher and called him a true inspiration in their community.

Former employees who worked under Butler said he helped them in both their education and personal life. One employee said she always respected his kindness and his commitment to the students in the community.

Butler Sr. also served as deacon at the Historic Taw Caw Baptist Church in Summerton.

For his funeral on July 24, the Scott's Branch Alumni Association had a horse-drawn carriage for transport from Scott's Branch to his church to honor the former superintendent. He was laid to rest next to his wife, Ann Butler, who passed away eight years ago.

"It was like the whole entire town just shut down," Butler III recalled about the funeral. He said neighbors and other community members stopped and saluted his grandfather as his casket made its way through downtown Summerton.

Even before his passing, his legacy was honored in Summerton.

In 2014, state Sen. Kevin Johnson, D-Manning, and community members introduced a bill to rename part of 4th Street in downtown Summerton to "B.O. Butler Street" to commemorate his work in the district. With this memorial and his various teachings passed to the community, Butler's family is happy that his life story will forever be memorialized and continue to inspire others for years to come.