Professor Lewis Butler
Professor Lewis Butler is in his second year as an adjunct professor in Hillsdale’s Economics department. A recent graduate of the college, Professor Butler returned to academia when he received a call from department head Dr. Gary Wolfram in the summer of 2012. The planned hiring of a new macroeconomics professor had fallen through, and the department was in need of a replacement. Professor Butler, who was working on a campaign for the Ambassador Bridge Company at the time, was eager to return to his alma mater as a part time faculty member, and he quickly accepted the job.
Since that time, Professor Butler’s workload within the department has grown. He now teaches both intermediate macroeconomics and introduction to microeconomics. When asked why he chose to return to Hillsdale, Butler responded that his decision was primarily driven by his strong belief in the mission of the college: “The promotion of true laissez-faire principles and equality is something not easily found at other higher education institutions, and that was something I wanted to support.”
Moving forward, Professor Butler intends to continue his stay at Hillsdale College and is exploring the possibility of expanding his course offerings with a class in entrepreneurship next semester. He hopes that the class will give students the chance to attempt to define both what an entrepreneur is and to explore how entrepreneurial activities function to drive growth in the United States.
At the end of the day, much of Professor Butler’s success and popularity in the classroom stems from his ability to relate to his students. His use of “memes” in presentations, his relevant cultural references, and his willingness to empathize with the troubles of the every day college student all serve to foster a student/professor relationship unique within the Hillsdale Economics department.
Michael Ragan is a member of the class of 2015 at Hillsdale College. A resident of Toledo, Ohio, Michael is majoring in Economics and minoring in Music. He is a member of the Beta Kappa Chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, the club golf team, and the Aliaga Foundation on campus.