Archibald Butt was a captain in the United States Army Quartermaster Corps who had served in the Philippines (from 1898 to 1904), in Washington, D.C. (from 1904 to 1906), and in Cuba (from 1906 to 1908).

They were known for throwing spartan but large parties that were attended by members of Congress, justices of the Supreme Court, and President Taft himself.

[7] Newspapers characterized the intense, deep friendship the men shared as a "Damon and Pythias" relationship.

Butt and Millet were playing cards on the night of April 14 in the first-class smoking room when the Titanic struck an iceberg.

Taft spoke at the service, almost breaking down twice as he said:[17] If Archie could have selected a time to die he would have chosen the one God gave him.

He was loyal to my predecessor, Mr. Roosevelt, who selected him to be military aide, and to me he had become as a son or a brother.A second ceremony was held in Washington, D.C., on May 5, during which Taft broke down and wept—bringing his eulogy to an abrupt end.

Bacon argued that Butt (who was an aide to the president) and Millet (who was vice chair of the United States Commission of Fine Arts at the time of his death)[19] were both public servants who deserved to be memorialized separately from the rest of the dead.

As originally introduced, the resolution barred the memorial from being placed on the grounds of the Capitol, Library of Congress, or White House.

[20] Plans for erecting a memorial to Butt and Millet began shortly after the introduction of the Senate resolution.

[21] Taft's personal secretary, Charles D. Hilles, and his military aide, Colonel Spencer Cosby, led the fund-raising on behalf of the committee.

[23] Members of the foreign diplomatic corps and several high government officials had already donated several thousand dollars to the memorial fund by mid-May.

[23] At this point in time, The Ellipse (the southern part of President's Park) was chosen for the site of the memorial.

[22] An attempt to pass the resolution on June 8 failed after Senator Porter J. McCumber objected to its passage.

[35][36] The First Division Monument is to the northwest, and the south lawn of the White House is across the street to the north and northeast.

[21][37] An octagonal grey granite base[21][38] supports an 8 feet (2.4 m) wide bowl of golden brown Tennessee marble.

[39] The southern figure of a man in armor and helmet, holding a shield, represents military valor.

[21][37] The fountain bowl was designed to be a source of drinking water for horses used by park police patrols.

[40] An inscription around the lip of the bowl reads: "In memory of Francis Davis Millet – 1846–1912 – and Archibald Willingham Butt – 1865–1912.