The Eugene Butler Collection was gifted to LaBudde Special Collections and Marr Sound Archives, UMKC Miller Nichols Library, by Eugene Butler in May 2011. The collection contains hundreds of Butler’s published compositions, manuscripts, and audio recordings, as well as unpublished works and student works. Butler’s compositional output centers mainly around vocal and choral music, both sacred and secular, and is performed often in churches, schools, and concert settings all around the world.

Dr. Butler had a long and distinguished career as a composer, conductor, teacher and clinician, and that is documented in this collection through a wide array of newspaper clippings, letters, programs, pamphlets and brochures, articles, advertisements, audio recordings, and photographs. An assortment of sketchbooks and early works show Butler’s evolution from extended tonality, twelve-tone composition, and experimental techniques, to the more “conservative” style of his published output. This collection offers a comprehensive view of Dr. Butler’s long and prestigious career.

Additional materials were gifted to LaBudde Special Collections, UMKC Miller Nichols Library, by Eugene Butler in February 2018. They consist of correspondence he received from choirs performing his works, concert programs in which his works were performed, and scores of his choral, piano, organ, and other miscellaneous works.