Abstract
Considered “the father of geriatrics,” Robert Butler made his mark on the field of aging throughout the many facets of his life. Butler worked to change how society views aging and made monumental strides while he did so. He devoted his career to advancing the rights of older adults by addressing challenging issues through research, social action, and a strong media presence. He had a vision to transform aging into something more meaningful and remarked, “The impact of ageism is considerable, for older people can and do play a major role in social and economic development. Yet we fail to maximize the potential of older persons on either a paid or voluntary basis and deny them the opportunity to play a significant role in our cultural life” (Butler in International Psychogeriatrics 21:211–211, 2009).
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References
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Shealy, E.C., Teaster, P.B. (2023). Profile 1: Robert Butler. In: Teaster, P.B., Anetzberger, G.J., Podnieks, E. (eds) The Worldwide Face of Elder Abuse. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34888-4_2
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