Claude R. Wickard

Claude Raymond Wickard (* February 28, 1893 in Camden, Indiana, † April 29, 1967 near Delphi, Indiana ) was an American politician (Democratic Party), who belonged to the cabinet of President Franklin D. Roosevelt as Minister of Agriculture.

Claude Wickard, who was born on the family farm in Carroll County, made in 1915 his Bachelor 's degree in Agriculture at Purdue University. He was then involved in agriculture in the sequence and in 1927 because of his progressive way of working in this area from the Prairie Farmer Magazine honored as "Master Farmer of Indiana ".

His political career began in 1932 with his election to the Senate from Indiana. He retired after one term out again to take a senior post at the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, a newly created agricultural authority. There he remained until 1936.

1940 Wickard resigned as Under Secretary of Agriculture in the government of Franklin D. Roosevelt. In the same year he was appointed Minister of Agriculture, after Henry A. Wallace resigned to later assume the office of U.S. Vice-President, during the Second World War Wickard was also for four months of the Authority for the food supply (War Foods Administration) before, where he campaigned for increased food production on farms, by she called patriotic contribution.

After the inauguration of President Harry S. Truman that Wickard asked for his resignation, to take him the position as head of the Rural Electrification Administration, a federal agency whose purpose was to assist the rural electrification. He held until 1953 this office. In 1956 he ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate, but was defeated by Republican incumbent Homer E. Capehart.

Claude Wickard died on 29 April 1967 following a car accident. According to witnesses, he did not notice a stop sign at the junction of two highways, after his vehicle collided with a truck.