1. The Tweeting Bulldog
Butler’s live mascot, Butler Blue III — more commonly known as “Trip” — has over 13,000 followers on Twitter (@ButlerBlue3). He also has a Flickr presence, a blog, and an on-campus office. He tours the country in a special Ford “Blue Mobile.” Oh, yeah, he stars in awesome university videos, too.
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2. Ahead of Its Time
Originally opening its doors as Northwest Christian University in 1855, the university reflected abolitionist founder Ovid Butler’s values of diversity, inclusiveness, and equality. Women and people of color were admitted on an equal basis with white males, and Butler’s daughter Demia Butler was the first female graduate of the four-year program.
3. The Butler Way
Although it’s synonymous with Butler’s successful men’s basketball team, the philosophy of “The Butler Way” guides the interactions of the entire university community through principles of commitment, seeking continual improvement and unselfishness. All students are required to participate in an Indianapolis community-engaged service learning course as part of graduation requirements.
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4. Hinkle Fieldhouse
Hinkle was constructed in 1928 as the then-largest basketball arena in the nation, and it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1987. Rated one of the top college arenas in the country by the Travel Channel, Hinkle served as the setting for the iconic sports movie Hoosiers and is home to the Butler Bulldogs, members of the Big East Conference.
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5. Popular Guest Speakers
Fault in Our Stars author John Green, an Indianapolis resident, gave the 2013 commencement speech, which promptly went viral online. Butler also regularly schedules thought-provoking speakers through the J. James Woods Lecture Series, the Vivian S. Delbrook Visiting Writers Series, and the Celebration of Diversity Distinguished Lecture Series. Past lecturers have included Maya Angelou, Dan Rather, Laura Bush, and John Legend.
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