Remembering SUNY Old Westbury President Emeritus Rev. Calvin O. Butts, III
By Office of the President | Nov 8, 2022
President Wayne J. Riley, M.D., and Rev. Calvin Butts
I was saddened to learn of the passing of my friend and colleague, retired SUNY Old Westbury President Rev. Calvin O. Butts, III, D.Min., M.Div. In 2020, Dr. Butts was appointed President Emeritus of The State University of New York at Old Westbury in recognition of his 20 years of distinguished service to the College.
When I was announced as the 17th president of SUNY Downstate in 2017, Dr. Butts was among the first to call with congratulatory words of friendship and kindness. Subsequently, Dr. Butts honored me with greetings he delivered at my official inauguration. His friendship and counsel were instrumental as I settled into the presidency, and I enjoyed a great relationship with one of my fellow SUNY presidents.
SUNY Chair Emeritus the Hon. H. Carl McCall, President Wayne J. Riley, and Rev. Calvin Butts
As proud “Morehouse Men,” we enjoyed a unique brotherhood and an equally tongue-in-cheek relationship as brothers of two different fraternities, often bringing laughter and joy to our friendship.
Dr. Butts was a prolific preacher, visionary leader, and scholar. He was the senior pastor at the internationally-known Abyssinian Baptist Church and founder of the Abyssinian Development Corporation, a non-profit that oversaw $1B in housing and commercial development in Harlem.
Dr. Butts leaves a remarkable body of work as a leader in higher education, and scholar, a preacher, and an even more unforgettable legacy for his family, friends, and those following in his storied footsteps.
We join with others around the country in expressing condolences to Dr. Butts’s family, members of Abyssinian Baptist Church, and his SUNY extended family; his loss will be significantly felt.