EZRA BUTLER was born in Lancaster, Massachusetts. After settling in Waterbury, Vermont, he studied law and became Town Clerk. He served a number of terms in the State House of Representatives, was a member of the Executive Council for fifteen years, was the first Judge of the Chittenden County Court, on which he served for a time as Chief Justice, and was elected to the U.S. Congress. He was also a trustee of the University of Vermont from 1810 to 1816. His gubernatorial administration was marked by the abolition of lotteries and the passage of legislation requiring the examination of teachers. After leaving office, Butler became active in the Anti-Masonic movement that was an issue of significant concern in Vermont in the 1820s and ’30s.