Willard C. Butcher Former bank chairman and chief executive officer Date of Birth: 25.10.1926 Country: USA

Biography of Willard K. Butcher

Willard Carlisle Butcher was born on October 25, 1926 in Bronxville, New York. He attended Middlebury College in Vermont after graduating from high school in 1944. Following his discharge from the U.S. Navy in 1946, he was accepted into Brown University, where he graduated with honors in 1947, earning a Bachelor's degree. Willard was awarded honorary degrees of Doctor of Laws from Brown University, Pepperdine University, and Tulane University.

In 1947, he joined Chase National Bank, the predecessor to Chase Manhattan, and later became the head of the conglomerate's retail and corporate business division in Manhattan. In 1969, he moved to the international department, where he was responsible for operations in Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. Butcher then served as Executive Vice President, overseeing the bank's international operations. After a brief stint as Vice President of Planning, Expansion, and Diversification at the international level, Willard was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of Chase. He reported to David Rockefeller, the then Chairman and CEO of the bank.

Under the leadership of Rockefeller and Butcher, Chase's expansion program was successfully carried out in over 50 countries, including Russia, Egypt, and China, where American banks had not previously operated. However, according to The New York Times, after Butcher's death, Chase faced significant losses, amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. These losses were attributed to problems associated with lending in developing countries, such as Brazil.

Butcher was actively involved in the affairs of the American Enterprise Institute and served as a member of the Grace Commission under President Ronald Reagan for two years. This commission was responsible for examining the private sector in order to control costs. He also served on the boards of Celgene, Firestone Tire & Rubber, International Paper, and Texaco. Willard was a member of the board of the Museum of Modern Art and the New York Zoological Society. He received an honorary Doctorate of Science from Pace University.

Willard K. Butcher passed away from cancer on August 25, 2012, at the age of 85 in Hobe Sound, Florida.