Arlene Butterly came to the NIH in 1954 in the Office of Research Information. She became the Information Officer for the Division of Biologics Standards (DBS) beginning in 1956. Her degree and background were in journalism and editorial work, including working for Science Magazine and in the editorial department at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

Butterly was a part of the committee that planned the luncheon for the King and Queen of Thailand when they visited the Washington, D.C. area in 1960 and took part in the Dedication Ceremony of Building 29 on June 30, 1960 (link to this page).

She worked in Building 29, Room 124 from 1961–1963, then in Room 132 until 1967, when she moved to Room 400. According to NIH telephone directories, by 1969 she was in Building 29, Room 323, and worked there until 1972. She stayed on after the transition to FDA through 1974, working as the head of the Information Office in Building 29, Room 115.

The Information Officer at NIH’s job included interpreting the findings of scientific investigators, decoding pronouncements of doctors, answering questions from journalists and newscasters, and often providing written reports that then are used by broadcasters. They had to be diplomatic, knowledgeable, and tactful. Another duty of the Information Officer included serving as the staff correspondent for The NIH Record, a biweekly newspaper published for the staff of the NIH.