Kenyon Leech Butterfield (June 11, 1868 – November 25, 1936) was an American agricultural scientist and college administrator known for developing the Cooperative Extension Service at the Land Grant Universities.

[1] Butterfield began his academic career as an instructor of rural sociology at Michigan Agricultural College in 1902, and became president and professor of political economy and rural sociology at the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, serving until June, 1906.

[1] He eventually returned to his alma mater Michigan Agricultural College as president from 1924 to 1928.

The organizational structure of these two colleges formed the basis of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, which authorized federal funding of comprehensive Cooperative Extension programming by Land Grant Colleges and Universities nationwide.

Media related to Kenyon L. Butterfield at Wikimedia Commons # denotes interim president