Former Governor of Minnesota Orville Freeman was appointed Secretary of Agriculture in 1961, and held the position until 1969. After Minnesota senator Hubert Humphrey had dropped out of the race for the 1960 Democratic nomination, Mr. Freeman had endorsed Senator Kennedy. In an effort to secure the important Minnesota delegate vote, the Kennedy campaign asked Mr. Freeman to deliver Kennedy’s nomination speech at the Democratic National Convention. After winning the election, President Kennedy returned the favor by appointing Freeman to his cabinet. Freeman served effectively as Secretary of Agriculture, and expanded his department’s jurisdiction. Some of his notable achievements include establishing a feed-grain reduction program, expanding the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act, and forging a wheat deal with the Russians in 1963.
1918 Born, Minneapolis, MN
1940 B.S., University of Minnesota
1941-1945 Served, U.S. Marine Corps
1945-1949 Assistant to Minneapolis Mayor Hubert Humphrey
1946 LL.B., University of Minnesota
1946-1948 Secretary, Minnesota Democratic Farm Labor Party
1948-1950 Chairman, Minnesota Democratic Farm Labor Party
1947-1955 Lawyer, Larson, Loevinger, Lindquist, and Freeman
1955-1961 Governor of Minnesota
1961-1969 U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
1970-1984 President, Business International Corporation
2003 Died
Source
"Orville Lothrop Freeman." Almanac of Famous People, 7th ed. Gale Group, 2000.
Reproduced in BiographyResource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: The Gale Group, 2003.