Political scientist.
Born at Walthamstow East, Essex, England on 25 April 1939 to Edward William and Phyllis Eileen Buteux, he attended the London School of Economics. There he received his Doctorate of Philosophy degree in International Relations, meanwhile becoming a lifelong fan of the Tottenham Hotspurs soccer team. In 1963, he took up a position in the Department of Political Studies at the University of Manitoba, from which he retired as a Full Professor on 31 December 2008.
He became Canada's leading scholar on nuclear weapons and nuclear deterrence, and on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). His books, Strategy, Doctrine, and the Politics of Alliance: Theatre Nuclear Force Modernisation in NATO (1982) and The Politics of Nuclear Consultation in NATO 1965-1980 (2011), were for a long time the pre-eminent texts on the subject in academic and policy circles. In addition, he contributed chapters in numerous edited volumes, and published many articles in leading academic journals on a wide range of issues relating to international relations and Canadian defence policy. Reflecting his commitment to academic excellence, education, and a learned public debate on defence and security issues, he created the Research Programme in Strategic Studies in 1986. His work was recognized by the University in 1992 with the establishment of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies, for which he served as Director until 2006. Through his efforts and initiative, the Programme and the Centre established the University as a leading voice on international, strategic, and Canadian defence issues.
His primary interest during his academic career, however, was his students. His door was always open to consultation, and he was committed to advising them on their academic studies and their professional ambitions, even years after they’d left the university. He was gratified to see many of his students go on to enjoy successful careers in academia, the private sector, and government, several of them having entered careers in National Defence. As part of this commitment, he created the Annual Political Studies Graduate Student Conference on International Relations in 1985, the longest-standing student conference of its kind in Canada. His purpose was to provide valuable experience to students in organizing an international conference, and exposing them to leading national and international scholars and policy-makers. Believing that education was more than what could be learned in the halls of the university, he also hosted conference-ending social gatherings at his home to enable students to engage directly with all the participants.
He was one of the original members of University College, and a dedicated member of the Senior Common Room. He always believed that scholarship was more than just an obsession for one's narrow area of specialization. For him, the Senior Common Room provided the opportunity to exchange views and debate issues amongst scholars from all disciplines. He also made the effort to personally invite students into the Common Room to expose them to the proper academic life. In his later years, he developed a passion for horse racing, and after retirement, became the co-owner of several race horses. He was a regular at the Assiniboia Downs race track, and also attended the Kentucky Derby at Louisville and the Preakness Stakes at Baltimore, Maryland.
He died at Winnipeg on 10 March 2012. In his honour, his wife Iona Starr established the Paul Buteux Graduate Student Conference and Research Fund at the University of Manitoba. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights hosts an annual lecture series in his name.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 14 March 2012.
UM Faculty of Graduate Studies, Graduate Awards Database.
Paul Buteux Memorial Lectures, Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 24 January 2026
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