Milburn Lincoln Wilson (October 23, 1885 – November 22, 1969) was an American Undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under Presidents

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

and

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...

under the

New Deal The New Deal was a series of wide-reaching economic, social, and political reforms enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1938, in response to the Great Depression in the United States, Great Depressi ...

and

Fair Deal The Fair Deal was a set of proposals put forward by U.S. President Harry S. Truman to Congress in 1945 and in his January 1949 State of the Union Address. More generally, the term characterizes the entire domestic agenda of the Truman adminis ...

. His main interest was social justice for farmers. He made major contributions to federal agricultural policies, including creating the first domestic allotment plan for the

Agricultural Adjustment Act The Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) was a United States federal law of the New Deal era designed to boost agricultural prices by reducing surpluses. The government bought livestock for slaughter and paid farmers Subsidy, subsidies not to plant ...

and helping to create the first agricultural commodity programs and for the United States. He also convinced the Millers' National Federation and others to begin enriching bread and cereals. Wilson also directed the

Subsistence Homesteads Division The Subsistence Homesteads Division (or Division of Subsistence Homesteads, SHD or DSH) of the United States Department of the Interior was a Alphabet agencies, New Deal agency that was intended to relieve industrial workers and struggling farmers ...

of the U.S. Department of the Interior and was head of the Division of Farm Management and Cost Accounting for the

Bureau of Agricultural Economics The Economic Research Service (ERS) is a component of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and a principal agency of the Federal Statistical System of the United States. It provides information and research on agriculture and eco ...

. He also helped establish the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

Early life

On October 23, 1885, Milburn Lincoln Wilson was born in Atlantic, Iowa. His parents were Mary E. Magee and John Wesley Wilson. He attended

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricult ...

, receiving a BSA in

agronomy Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants by agriculture for food, fuel, fiber, chemicals, recreation, or land conservation. Agronomy has come to include research of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and ...

in 1907. While there, he was a member of Epsilon Sigma Phi and

Phi Kappa Phi The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (or simply Phi Kappa Phi or ) is an honor society established in 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to the area of study, and to promote the "unity and democracy of educa ...

. He was also a member of the professional fraternity Alpha Zeta. In 1907, Wilson was a

tenant farmer A tenant farmer is a farmer or farmworker who resides and works on land owned by a landlord, while tenant farming is an agricultural production system in which landowners contribute their land and often a measure of operating capital and ma ...

in Nebraska. With the urging of agronomist Alfred Atkinson, he moved to Montana in 1909 as a homesteader near Fallon. In 1920, he received an

M.S. A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medicine ...

agricultural economics Agricultural economics is an applied field of economics concerned with the application of economic theory in optimizing the production and distribution of food and fiber products. Agricultural economics began as a branch of economics that specif ...

and rural sociology from the

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...

Career

By 1910, Wilson became the Assistant State Agronomist at Montana State College at Bozeman from 1910 to 1912. In this capacity, he helped new settlers adapt to the semi-arid climate of Montana, teaching them about dryland tillage methods and crops that did not need irrigation. Next, he was a county agent in Custer County, Montana from 1912 to 1914, becoming the first county agent in Montana. After the Smith–Lever Act of 1914 passed, he became a Montana State Extension Agent Leader from 1914 to 1922. However, Montana's agricultural boom during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

came to an end between 1917 and 1920 when an outbreak of wheat leaf rust, drought, and a drop in prices resulted in thousands of families leaving Montana. Wilson took a leave of absence from work in 1919 to attend graduate school in Wisconsin. The depression of 1921 resulted in farmers demanding price stabilization, domestic allotments, and parity. When Wilson returned to Montana, he focused on the economic needs of the farmers. He interviewed farmers that had remained, despite the failures of their neighbors. His study showed the need for a drastic change in farm management and led to new guidelines for those farming in arid climates. However, Wilson believed more help was needed in Montana. He supported the McNary–Haugen Farm Relief Bill which was passed by Congress two times, but vetoed by President

Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States, serving from 1923 to 1929. A Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer from Massachusetts, he previously ...

both times. From 1922 to 1924, Wilson worked as an extension agricultural economist at Montana State College; the first person in Montana to serve in this capacity. His work came to the attention of Beardsley Ruml, director of the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Foundation. With the Foundations support, the Fairway Farms Corporation of Montana organized in 1924, involving Montana farmers, businessmen, and Wilson. Fairway Farms purchased eight test farms in various parts of the state, finding tenants or buyers who were willing to follow the corporation's recommended farming systems and practices. In 1924, Wilson became the head of the Division of Farm Management and Cost Accounting for the newly formed USDA

(BAE). While reorganizing the BAE division, Wilson was on leave from Montana State College. However, he still spent time in Montana, working on the Fairway Farms project. When Wilson returned to Montana State College in 1926, he became a professor and first head of the department of agricultural economics, serving in that capacity through 1933. In 1929, he visited the Soviet Union to learn from and consult on their large-scale wheat farming. When the US. Department of Interior's

Agricultural Adjustment Administration The Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) was a United States federal law of the New Deal era designed to boost agricultural prices by reducing surpluses. The government bought livestock for slaughter and paid farmers subsidies not to plant on part ...

(AAA) formed in 1933, Wilson transferred and was the Chief Wheat Production Secretary from May 16 to September 1, 1933. From September 1933 to June 30, 1934, he directed the AAA's

. From July 2, 1934, to January 1, 1937, he served as the United States Assistant Secretary of Agriculture. His primary concern was for farmers in the "lower one-third". He contributed to public agricultural policy and programs designed to address drought, the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, and low incomes. His chief contribution was to help create the first agricultural commodity programs for the United States. In 1937, he became the Undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. One of his legacies from the position was the "training public servants for effective functioning in a democracy." In February 1940, he became Director of Extension Work for the USDA, also filling in with the Production and Marketing Administration and serving as the chief of Child Nutrition Programs in the

War Food Administration The War Food Administration was a United States government agency that existed from 1943 to 1945. The War Food Administration was responsible for the production and distribution of food to meet war and essential civilian needs during World War II. ...

from 1943 to 1949. With the latter, he worked to promote

4-H 4-H is a U.S.-based network of youth organizations whose mission is "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development". Its name is a reference to the occurrence of the initial letter H four times ...

and convince the Millers' National Federation to enrich bread and cereals. On behalf o the USDA, Wilson traveled to other countries, sharing knowledge and encouraging students to come to the United States to train and study agricultural methods. He influenced the Ford Foundation and other international agencies regarding programming and funding. He retired from the government in 1953 but continued to work as a consultant for federal and state programs.

Professional affiliations

Wilson was a member of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsib ...

and of the American Farm Economic Association, serving as the latter's president in 1925. He was also the secretary and managing director of the Fairway Farms Corporation of Montana. He also served with several foundations that worked on agricultural issues.

Awards and honors

* In 1935, Wilson received an Honorary Doctorate from Montana State College * The Columbia Center for Oral History Research conducted an oral history project with Wilson which is housed at the Columbia University Libraries * The Milburn Lincoln Wilson Agricultural Photographs Collection is housed at

Montana State University Montana State University (MSU) is a public land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana, United States. It enrolls more students than any other college or university in the state. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's d ...

* The M. L. Wilson Papers, 1935–1960, are housed at the Montana State University Library. * In 1974, Montana State College (now

) established an annual M. L. Wilson Lecture, co-sponsored by the MSU Wilson Lecture Fund and the university's Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics.

Publications

* ''Flax Growing in Montana.'' with F. S. Cooley. Bozeman: Montana Agricultural College, Experiment Station, 1912 * ''Cropping to Flax on New Lands of Semi-arid Land Areas.'' with H. L. Bolley. Bozeman: Montana Agricultural College, Experiment Station, 1913 * ''Flax Cropping, Harvesting Methods.'' with H. L. Bolley. Bozeman: Montana Agricultural College, Experiment Station, 1914 * ''Corn Growing in Montana.'' Bozeman, Mont.: Montana Agricultural College, Experiment Station, 1914 * ''Corn in Montana: History, Characteristics, Adaptation.'' with Alfred Atkinson. Bozeman: Montana Agricultural College Experiment Station, 1915 * ''Suggestions to Alfalfa Growers.'' with Alfred Atkinson. Bozeman: Montana Agricultural College, Experiment Station, 1915 * ''Corn in Montana.'' with Alfred Atkinson. Bozeman: Montana Agricultural College, Experiment Station, 1916 * ''Selecting and Curing Seed Corn.'' with Alfred Atkinson. Bozeman: Montana Agricultural College, Experiment Station, 1916 * ''Corn Planting and Cultivation in Montana.'' with Alfred Atkinson. Bozeman:

University of Montana The University of Montana (UM) is a public research university in Missoula, Montana, United States. UM is a flagship institution of the Montana University System and its second largest campus. Fall 2024 saw total enrollment hit 10,811, marki ...

, Agricultural Experiment Station, 1917 *''A Study of Ranch Organization and Methods of Range-cattle Production in the Northern Great Plains Region.'' Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1928 *''Report of Commission Appointed to Report on the Lethbridge Northern and Other Irrigation Districts in Alberta.'' Alberta:

Government of Alberta The Government of Alberta () is the body responsible for the administration of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. In modern Canadian use, the term ''Government of Alberta'' refers specifically to the executive� ...

, 1930 * ''Farm Relief and the Domestic Allotment Plan.'' Minneapolis:

University of Minnesota Press The University of Minnesota Press is a university press that is part of the University of Minnesota. It had annual revenues of just over $8 million in fiscal year 2018. Founded in 1925, the University of Minnesota Press is best known for its book ...

, 1933 * ''Democracy Has Roots.'' Preface by Charles A. Beard. New York: Carrick & Evans, 1939 * ''A Better Rural Life in South Carolina Through Land Use Planning.'' ashington, D.C. Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, 1940 * "Farmers in a Changing World". ''Yearbook of Agriculture'', 1940. * ''The Rural Home and the National Emergency.'' Washington, D.C.:

U.S. Government Printing Office The United States Government Publishing Office (USGPO or GPO), formerly the United States Government Printing Office, is an agency of the legislative branch of the United States federal government. The office produces and distributes informatio ...

, 1942 * ''Studies of Rural Social Organization in the United States, Latin America, and Germany.'' with C. Loomis and C. C. Taylor. East Lansing: State College Book Store, 1945 * ''Shell Eggs: Quality and Properties as Affected by Temperature and Length of Storage.'' with Ruth A. Jordan and A. T. Barr. Lafayette, Indiana: Purdue University Agricultural Experiment Station, 1954 * ''Community Development Programme in India: Report of a Survey.'' elhi? India: Community Projects Administration, Government of India, 1956 * ''Wilson and the Campaign for the Domestic Allotment.'' with William D. Rowley. Lincoln, Nebraska:

University of Nebraska Press The University of Nebraska Press (UNP) was founded in 1941 and is an academic publisher of scholarly and general-interest books. The press is under the auspices of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the main campus of the University of Ne ...

, 1970

Contributions to other works

* ''The Federal Government Today; a Survey of Recent Innovations and Renovations.'' Morris Bartel Schnapper and

Frances Perkins Frances Perkins (born Fannie Coralie Perkins; April 10, 1880 – May 14, 1965) was an American workers-rights advocate who served as the fourth United States Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945, the longest serving in that position. A member o ...

, editors. United States: American Council on Public Affairs, 1938 * ''Thomas Jefferson. Papers Read Before the American Philosophical Society in Celebration of the Bicentennial of Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the Society.'' United States:

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...

, 1943

Personal life

On December 17, 1913, Wilson married Ida Morse of Cromwell, Minnesota. The couple had one daughter. Wilson went to the

Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic () is a Nonprofit organization, private American Academic health science centre, academic Medical centers in the United States, medical center focused on integrated health care, healthcare, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science ...

for treatment for his stomach ulcers and became very interested in nutrition. Wilson and his family left Montana and moved to Washington, D.C., in 1933. He was a Unitarian and a member of the

Cosmos Club The Cosmos Club is a 501(c)(7) private social club in Washington, D.C., that was founded by John Wesley Powell in 1878 as a gentlemen's club for those interested in science. Among its stated goals is, "The advancement of its members in science, ...

. In 1969, Wilson died in Washington at the age of 84 years after injuries from a fall. His funeral service was held in Bethesda, Maryland. His grave lies in

Rock Creek Cemetery Rock Creek Cemetery is an cemetery with a natural and rolling landscape located at Rock Creek Church Road, NW, and Webster Street, NW, off Hawaii Avenue, NE, in the Petworth (Washington, D.C.), Petworth neighborhood of Washington, D.C., across ...

References

External links

USDA
Caricature of M.L. Wilson (1934) * Scott, Kim Allen
Guide to the M.L. Wilson papers
Montana State University Library * Scott, Kim Allen
Guide to the M.L. Wilson Agricultural Photographs
Montana State University Library
M.L. Wilson Agricultural Photographs
Montana State University Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, M.L. 1885 births 1969 deaths People from Atlantic, Iowa Iowa State University alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences alumni People from Montana Montana State University faculty United States under secretaries of agriculture 20th-century American non-fiction writers Burials at Rock Creek Cemetery 20th-century American agronomists United States Department of Agriculture officials American Unitarians