NATIONAL CROQUET MUSEUM

The world lost a great sports enthusiast with the death of Paul Butler in 1981. Paul was a prominent supporter and benefactor of Polo, Golf and Croquet.

It was not until his later years that Paul became involved in croquet, yet he leapt into the croquet world with the same verve and enthusiasm that he approached all aspects of his business and sporting life. Instrumental in the formation of the Oak Brook Polo Club, Butler National Golf Club and the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club, Paul served as Honorary Chairman of the United States Polo Association.

His work at the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club led to the installation of two top quality international sized courts and established a home for both National and International level play. Paul added croquet to his long list of sporting pleasures and felt strongly that croquet was a challenging game that complimented Polo, Golf and Tennis. With this in mind, he became a strong advocate of the game and spurred the move to make Palm Beah the winter capital of croquet in the United States.

Unfortunately, Paul did not survive to see the fruits of his labor, but his memory will be well served by the success and enjoyment his efforts have promoted at the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club which now annually hosts both the US International Challenge Cup Matches and the largest tournament of the year, the USCA National Club Team Championships.

Paul's life touched many of us and he shall not be forgotten.

Paul Butler was inducted into the United States Croquet Hall of Fame in 1983.