Mr. deButts graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 1936 with an electrical engineering degree. He worked with the Bell System for 42 years, retiring as Chairman of the Board of AT&T. A civic and philanthropic leader with expertise in the field of finance, Mr. deButts proved to be a great help to the Trustees of The Duke Endowment. He served on several committees and as Vice Chairman of the Board from 1975 until 1981. He was a compassionate man, serving as a Governor of the United Way of America, a Trustee of four educational institutions, an active leader in Boy Scouts of America, a Trustee of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and as a fund raiser, board member, and concerned citizen. Mr. deButts was a devoted family man with roots deep in the Commonwealth of Virginia. He loved to farm, fish and hunt.