The William R. Butler Scholarship Fund

William Butler passed away in 2023. He was born in Durham, NC, in 1934, and spent the majority of his life in Wilmington. He joined the Air Force after High School. There, he participated in the early development of the National Airspace System and NORAD. After completing his Air Force duties, he enrolled at Gaston College. In the mid 1960’s, he was employed by NASA in Huntsville, Alabama, to participate in the development of the Saturn V Rocket, the launch vehicle that took the first men to the moon. Bob’s role was in developing and testing the “hold down arms” that held the rocket in place until it had sufficient thrust for lift off.

In his later years, Bob worked for the Harris Corporation as a computer specialist. He serviced large mainframe computer systems for government agencies and universities throughout the southeast. In his spare time, he enjoyed sailing, skydiving, and piloting small engine planes. Scholarships distributed from this Fund may be awarded to students in any study earning a degree, diploma or certificate and GPA 2.5 or greater.