GRISTORY: He went down with the ship
Archibald Butt, who once lived in Macon, was among those who perished in the sinking of the Titanic 111 years ago today
In celebration of Macon’s bicentennial year, a weekly look at local history.
Archibald Butt was flamboyant and eclectic … a lover of food, spirits and conversation. In his 40s, he was considered one of Washington’s most eligible bachelors, although he never married.
He was thoughtful and meticulous, with keen attention to detail. He had a natural gift for recalling people’s names. He once memorized the names of more than 1,200 guests at a state dinner at the White House and introduced them to William Howard Taft, one of the two presidents he worked under.
Unflappable? Yes. Unsinkable? Maybe. If only the boat he was on had been the same.
Today is the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912. In one of history’s most famous tragedies — 1,517 men, women and children perished in the icy waters, and Butt was one of them. He was hailed as a hero for his actions in the two hours and 40 minutes between the time when the Titanic hit the iceberg and sank to the ocean floor in the north Atlantic.
He went down with the ship.