Clifford Morris Hardin served as United States Secretary of Agriculture

United States Secretary of Agriculture

The United States Secretary of Agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The current secretary is Tom Vilsack, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on 20 January 2009. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other...

 from 1969 to 1971.

Hardin was born near Knightstown, Indiana

Knightstown, Indiana

Knightstown is a town in Wayne Township, Henry County, Indiana, along the Big Blue River. The population was 2,182 at the 2010 census. Knightstown is famous for the 1986 movie Hoosiers. The Hoosier Gym was used in the filming of the movie. Knightstown hosts two annual festivals. Jubilee Days held...

, to J. Alvin Hardin and Mabel (Macy) Hardin. He earned a B.S. (1937), an M.S. (1939) and a Ph.D. (1941) from Purdue University

Purdue University

Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...

 in West Lafayette, Indiana

West Lafayette, Indiana

As of the census of 2010, there were 29,596 people, 12,591 households, and 3,588 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,381.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 74.3% White, 17.3% Asian, 2.7% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.03% Pacific...

.

He taught Agricultural Economics at Michigan State University

Michigan State University

Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...

 in Lansing

Lansing, Michigan

Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...

 from 1944 to 1948, when he became the assistant director and then director of the Agricultural Experiment Station. He became the school's Dean of Agriculture in 1953 and Chancellor of the University of Nebraska in 1954.

In 1969, Hardin was appointed Secretary of Agriculture by President Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon

Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...

. As Secretary, he extended the food stamp program, and established both the Food and Nutrition Service to administer food programs for the poor, and the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to coordinate efforts with state and local officials. He served as Secretary until 1971, when he was succeeded by Earl Butz

Earl Butz

Earl Lauer "Rusty" Butz was a United States government official who served as Secretary of Agriculture under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.- Background :...

.

Hardin was the father of Sue Wood, Clifford W. Hardin, Nancy H. Rogers

Nancy H. Rogers

Nancy Hardin Rogers is a former Attorney General of Ohio, a former Dean of the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and the current holder of the Michael E. Moritz Chair in Alternative Dispute Resolution at the Moritz College of Law....

, Cynthia H. Milligan

Cynthia H. Milligan

Cynthia Hardin Milligan is a director of Wells Fargo & Company and a former dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln....

and James Hardin. Hardin died on April 4, 2010.