John Albert Knebel (born October 4, 1936) is a former United States government official who served as Secretary of Agriculture under

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Gerald Ford.

Biography

Early life and education

Knebel was born in

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

on October 4, 1936. He graduated from

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

in 1959 and received his Master's at

Creighton University Creighton University is a private Jesuit research university in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In 2015 the university enrolled 8,393 graduate and undergra ...

in 1962. In 1965, he received his law degree from American University. Between 1965 and 1968 he was engaged in private practice with the firm of Howrey, Simon, Baker and Murchison in

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

. He was a legislative assistant to Congressman J. Ernest Wharton in 1963 and 1964 and served as general counsel to the

Small Business Administration The United States Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent agency of the United States government that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and stre ...

during Nixon's second term. He was also a member of the American, Federal, and District of Columbia Bar Association. In March 1971, he became the General Counsel of the Small Business Administration, and in January 1973 he was appointed as General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture. He was a partner in the law firm of Brownstein, Zeidman, Schomer and Chase from April until December 1975, when he was named the Under Secretary/Deputy Secretary of Agriculture.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture

On November 4, 1976, Knebel was named Secretary of Agriculture to by President

Gerald R. Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...

after his predecessor, Earl L. Butz resigned amid a scandal involving a racist comment. His period in this office was brief and ended January 20, 1977, when

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...

replaced Ford in the

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. After that, he returned to law and was still the president of the American Mining Congress.

Personal life

Knebel married Zenia Marks of

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, with whom he has had three children. He and his family resided in

McLean, Virginia McLean ( ) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. McLean is home to many diplomats, military, members of Congress, and high-ranking government officials partially due to its proxi ...

at the time on his appointment as Secretary of Agriculture in 1976.

References

External links

Profiles of former Secretaries of AgricultureAmerican President site
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Knebel, John A. 1936 births Living people United States Secretaries of Agriculture Washington College of Law alumni Creighton University alumni United States Military Academy alumni Politicians from Tulsa, Oklahoma American people of German descent Ford administration cabinet members 20th-century American politicians Oklahoma Republicans