Scholarship Fund

2008 David Butler Scholarship Recipient - Kaleb Daniel Havens

Kaleb Daniel Havens is the 2008 recipient of the David Butler Scholarship, offered by the Denver Chapter of the IUAA. Kaleb is currently a sophomore at IU pursuing three majors in English, telecommunications, and communication & culture with a 3.7 GPA. He grew up in Zionsville, Ind., before relocating with his family in Conifer, Colo.

In Bloomington, Kaleb is active with Labyrinth Literary Magazine, Canvas Literary Magazine, Collins Fest 2007 as a Collins welcome-week assistant in 2006 and 2007, and with Culture Shock and Succinct Saga Society. This semester Kaleb has 15 hours of coursework and he also works 35 hours a week.

Kaleb has a strong interest in fiction writing. He hopes to finish two novels before graduating in 2010 and then pursue a career in writing and directing television programs and films.

The Denver Chapter is pleased to award a $1,000 scholarship to Kaleb for 2008–2009. We wish him all the best in his collegiate pursuits at IU.

David Butler Scholarship Fund Contributions

Our fund-raising strategy has been two-part the last few years. We add a nominal amount to ticket sales (theatre outings, sporting events, etc.) to raise funds. And we accept straight-up donations year round. Write your check to the Denver Chapter of the IUAA Scholarship Fund and mail to:

Dennis Sputh
3860 S. Willow Way
Denver, CO 80237

If you have an idea for a specific fund-raising event, or would like to become involved in the scholarship program, contact Dennis Sputh, treasurer, Denver Chapter of the IUAA, at 303-713-1187 or by . Let's continue our support of deserving students! Show your spirit and commitment to Indiana University and the Denver Chapter of the IUAA with the gift of funds toward the David Butler Scholarship.

David Butler Scholarship Recipients

Fall 2008
Kaleb Daniel Havens $1000

Spring 2007
Kelsey Olson $1000

Fall 2004
Amanda Paige McAdoo $1000

Fall 2002
Marianne Shifrin $1000

Spring 2001
Joanne Lin Want $1000

Spring 1999
Joseph Daniel Eberhart $250

Fall 1997
Brian Martin $500
Donald Nottingham $500

Fall 1996
Benjamin Schultz $500
Ryan Stanley Brown $500

Fall 1995
Ryan Stanley Brown $750
Michael Allen Israelson $500

Fall 1994
Heidi Brown $750
Michael Israelson $500

Fall 1993
Karen Hilton $750
Heidi Brown $500

Fall 1992
Karen Hilton $750
Kimberly Moore $500

Fall 1991
George Hammond $500

From the May 1998 edition of the IU Alumni Club of Denver newsletter:

David Butler Memorial
Born March 8, 1950
Died April 12, 1998

It was a very cloudy, dreary day, an Indiana kind of weather day, when a memorial service was held in Denver for David Butler. David, 48, passed away on Sunday, April 12, 1998. David was born in Huntington, Indiana and lived much of his childhood in Marion, Indiana. He graduated from Marion High School in 1968 and Indiana University in 1972 with a degree in business administration. His mother, Bettie Butler, of Marion, Indiana, three brothers, Richard, of Indianapolis, John, of New Brunswick, NJ, and Thomas, of Miami, and a sister, Nancy, of Cleveland, survive him. His body was returned to Marion for cremation.

David served on the board of directors of the Denver Alumni Club from 1995-1997. He served on the scholarship committee numerous times, was membership chairman, and was in charge of developing a scrapbook for our alumni club activities. He could always be counted on to participate in our activities. He walked for literacy with us and the Notre Dame alumni club, planted trees on the South Platte River, was very supportive of our raffles, and was always at his favorite table at Jackson's Hole to watch the IU games. He attended the NCAA Final Four in Minneapolis where he saw IU play Duke while visiting family. There will be a very empty seat at Jackson's next year.

But who was David Butler? After graduating from IU, David and a couple of pals set off to discover Europe. Upon his return he and a friend moved on to Boston, where they started an Oriental rug store. They also lived in and around their rugs. David proceeded to buy out his partner and continue to run the business for several years.

Then feeling restless and needing a new challenge, he sold his business, bought a Harley Davidson motorcycle, and headed out to discover the wild, wild West. Settling in Seattle, he began work for the May Company. It was with the May Company that he moved to Denver in 1980. In 1984 he went to work with Citicorp as a senior credit analyst. He retired from Citicorp in 1994.

David was an active member of the Denver Optimist Club, helping with the annual Christmas tree sales. He was a master at poker, bridge, Jeopardy and board games. You did not want to take David on in Jeopardy or you were sure to lose. He was an avid poker player with the Optimists as well as a very good bridge player. He was also a member of a bridge group at Gove Community School.

Whether it was teaching his younger brother the finer points of basketball or always being chosen first to be on a backyard team (where he was known to set a mean pick), or playing golf, or participating in fishing trips with friends and family, David participated. He faced new challenges with courage, never wanting to miss a thing.

He was an avid sports fan with a love for golf, baseball and basketball. What an IU basketball fan he was! His brother commented that he thought David must have had a direct line to the bookstore in Bloomington for the latest in apparel. Baseball was another of his passions, beginning with his baseball card collection as a child and continuing into adulthood with his framed opening day Rockies ticket. You could count on him hanging out at Fenway Park or Coors Field, following his teams. He attended NCAA basketball games and All-Star baseball games wherever he was. He traveled to Arizona to visit friends and to see his Rockies in spring practice.

Many of his colleagues and friends spoke of their fond memories of David, always highlighting his smiling face, congenial manner, and being "a genuine guy" with a deep love for his family. He was never heard to make an unkind remark (referees excepted) about anyone. As one of our own club members remarked after the service, "I wish I had known him better."

But those who did had these comments: "David was a man among men, and he was a true friend. He was a genuine guy, a real sweetheart, whose passion for sports, women, and friends, (in that order) were the zest of his varied life." "Dave, my brother, my friend, my hero," for a kid born physically challenged who was not supposed to live beyond the age of 10, he faced the many challenges in his life with grace, never complaining, and always with that smile on his face.

We are so lucky to have had David touch our lives and be a part of our alumni club. It is a very deserving tribute to have the scholarship fund named in his memory.

— Maryann Kopelov