United States Secretary of Agriculture

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United States Secretary of Agriculture

Official seal
Incumbent:
Edward T. Schafer
First:
Norman Jay Colman
Formation:
February 15, 1889
Presidential Line of Succession:
Ninth

The United States Secretary of Agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The current secretary is Edward T. Schafer, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to become Secretary of Agriculture on January 28, 2008[1]. The position carries similar responsibilities to agriculture ministers of other governments.

The department includes several organizations. The 297,000 mi2 (770,000 km²) of national forests and grasslands are managed by the United States Forest Service.[2] The safety of food produced that are produced in the United States and sold here is ensured by the United States Food Safety and Inspection Service.[3] The Food Stamp Program works with the states to provide food to low-income people.[4] Advice for farmers and gardeners is provided by the United States Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service.[5]

The line of succession for the Secretary of Agriculture is as follows:[6]

  1. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
  2. Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agriculture Services
  3. Under Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs
  4. Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development
  5. Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services
  6. Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment
  7. Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics
  8. Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety
  9. General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture
  10. Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Administration
  11. Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Congressional Relations

[edit] Secretaries of Agriculture[7]

# Secretary of Agriculture State of Residence Term of Office President(s) served under
1 Norman Jay Coleman Missouri February 15, 1889 - March 6, 1889 Grover Cleveland
2 Jeremiah M. Rusk Wisconsin March 6, 1889 - March 6, 1893 Benjamin Harrison
3 J. Sterling Morton Nebraska March 7, 1893 - March 5, 1897 Grover Cleveland
4 James Wilson Iowa March 6, 1897 - March 5, 1913 William McKinley,
Theodore Roosevelt,
William Taft
5 David F. Houston Missouri March 6, 1913 - February 2, 1920 Woodrow Wilson
6 Edwin T. Meredith Iowa February 2, 1920 - March 4, 1921
7 Henry C. Wallace Iowa March 5, 1921 - October 25, 1924 Warren Harding,
Calvin Coolidge
8 Howard M. Gore West Virginia November 22, 1924 - March 4, 1925 Calvin Coolidge
9 William M. Jardine Kansas March 5, 1925 - March 4, 1929
10 Arthur M. Hyde Missouri March 6, 1929 - March 4, 1933 Herbert Hoover
11 Henry A. Wallace Iowa March 4, 1933 - September 4, 1940 Franklin Roosevelt
12 Claude R. Wickard Indiana September 5, 1940 - June 29, 1945 Franklin Roosevelt,
Harry Truman
13 Clinton P. Anderson New Mexico June 30, 1945 - May 10, 1948 Harry Truman
14 Charles F. Brannan Colorado June 2, 1948 - January 20, 1953
15 Ezra Taft Benson Idaho January 21, 1953 - January 20, 1961 Dwight Eisenhower
16 Orville L. Freeman Minnesota January 21, 1961 - January 20, 1969 John Kennedy,
Lyndon Johnson
17 Clifford M. Hardin Nebraska January 21, 1969 - November 17, 1971 Richard Nixon
18 Earl L. Butz Indiana December 2, 1971 - October 4, 1976 Richard Nixon,
Gerald Ford
19 John A. Knebel Oklahoma November 4, 1976 - January 20, 1977 Gerald Ford
20 Robert S. Bergland Minnesota January 23, 1977 - January 20, 1981 Jimmy Carter
21 John R. Block Illinois January 23, 1981 - February 14, 1986 Ronald Reagan
22 Richard E. Lyng California March 7, 1986 - January 21, 1989
23 Clayton K. Yeutter Nebraska February 16, 1989 - March 1, 1991 George H. W. Bush
24 Edward R. Madigan Illinois March 8, 1991 - January 20, 1993
25 Alphonso Michael "Mike" Espy Mississippi January 22, 1993 - December 31, 1994 Bill Clinton
26 Daniel R. Glickman Kansas March 30, 1995 - January 19, 2001
27 Ann M. Veneman California January 20, 2001 - January 20, 2005 George W. Bush
28 Michael O. Johanns Nebraska January 21, 2005 - September 20, 2007
29 Edward T. Schafer North Dakota January 28, 2008 - present

[edit] References

  1. ^ Jalonick, Mary Clare. "Senate Confirms Secretary of Agriculture", AP, 2008-01-28. Retrieved on 2008-01-28. 
  2. ^ USDA Forest Service - Caring for the land and serving people.. Retrieved on 2005-09-24.
  3. ^ Home. Retrieved on 2005-09-24.
  4. ^ FNS Food Stamp Program Home Page. Retrieved on 2005-09-24.
  5. ^ Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES). Retrieved on 2005-09-24.
  6. ^ Executive Order on Succession at Department of Agriculture. Retrieved on 2005-09-24.
  7. ^ Former Secretaries. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved on 2007-09-24.
v • d • e
United States Secretaries of Agriculture
Coleman • Rusk • Morton • Wilson • Houston • Meredith • HC Wallace • Gore • Jardine • Hyde • HA Wallace • Wickard • Anderson • Brannan • Benson • Freeman • Hardin • Butz • Knebel • Bergland • Block • Lyng • Yeutter • Madigan • Espy • Glickman • Veneman • Johanns • Schafer
 Seal of the United States Department of Agriculture
v • d • e
Agencies under the United States Department of Agriculture
Secretary of Agriculture · Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
Under Secretary of Agriculture for
Natural Resources and Environment		 United States Department of Agriculture Seal
Under Secretary of Agriculture for
Farm and Foreign Agriculture Services
Under Secretary of Agriculture for
Rural Development
Under Secretary of Agriculture for
Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services
Under Secretary of Agriculture for
Food Safety
Under Secretary of Agriculture for
Research, Education, and Economics
Under Secretary of Agriculture for
Marketing and Regulatory Programs
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Leaders of the United States Federal Executive Departments
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