John Harvey Butchart Collection

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Volume:: Approximately 7000 color slides
Views Include:: The hiking trails of the Grand Canyon; the Colorado River and Little Colorado River; dates: 1949-1987
Biographic Notes:: John Harvey Butchart has hiked and researched the Grand Canyon since 1945. Butchart was born in Hofei, China in 1907, where his parents were missionaries. He received his early education at the American school in the area. When his father died in 1916, the family returned to the United States where he attended college. Butchart was graduated from Eureka College in 1929 and earned his master's and doctorate from the University of Illinois in 1929 and 1932. In 1945, he accepted a job in the Mathematics Department of Arizona State College (now NAU) from which he retired in 1976. He became involved with the ASC Hiking Club and served as sponsor for twelve years, during which time he hiked most of the main trails of the canyon. His explorations eventually branched out to abandoned trails, prehistoric trails and animal trails.
In his 1000 days of hiking and exploration of the Grand Canyon, Butchart has found 108 approaches to the Colorado River. He has climbed 83 summits within the canyon and has scaled the canyon walls at 164 different places. He has carefully documented all of these explorations. His publications include: Grand Canyon Treks I, II, and III. Dr. Butchart died on May 29, 2002.

Cline Library
Special Collections and Archives Department
Northern Arizona University