Announcing the 2011 Butler Scholarship Winners

James and Nellie Butler Scholarship was established in 1998 by the Albemarle County Democratic Party to honor James and Nellie Butler, life-long members of the Democratic Party. The scholarship honors their commitment to Albemarle County and their support for public education. The scholarship is awarded to four graduating Albemarle County High School students who plan to attend college or university.

Jim Butler served Albemarle County for over 35 years as an agricultural extension agent. Jim was the first African-American elected to the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, winning the seat from the Rivanna Magisterial District in 1981. Nellie Butler was a Girl Scout leader and a 4-H advisor in Albemarle County. She taught at Piedmont Technical Education Center in Culpeper for over 25 years.  Jim Butler was recognized for his many contributions to Albemarle County in 2000, when the Baker-Butler Elementary School was named for him and for John Baker, the first African-American Chair of the Albemarle County School Board.

Since the creation of the scholarship by the Albemarle County Democratic Party, we have provided over $20,000 in memory of James and Nellie’s years of service to students to help defray part of their college costs. The Butler Scholarship Committee, chaired by local Democrat Will Harvey, selected the recipients of this year’s $500 scholarships, who submitted essays and were recommended by their schools.

Winners of the 2011 Butler Scholarship are:

• Emma Shreve, Albemarle High School. Emma is studying at the University of Virginia.
• Frank Muraca, Monticello High School. Frank is attending George Mason University
• Rebekkah Gibson, Western Albemarle High School. Rebekah is a student at Piedmont Virginia Community College.
• Shannon Wilson, Murray High School. Shannon is attending James Madison University