Henry Cantwell Wallace was a United States farm leader. He served as the Secretary of Agriculture between 1921 and 1924. He was the father of Henry Agard Wallace, who would follow in his footsteps as Secretary of Agriculture under President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...

. He was editor of Wallaces' Farmer 1916-1921.

Biography

Son of Henry Wallace (Uncle Henry), who was a prominent farm journalist and counselor to statesmen, Henry C. (Harry) Wallace was born in Rock Island, Illinois

Rock Island, Illinois

Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...

. His grandfather, John Wallace (1805–1872), was an immigrant from County Antrim

County Antrim

County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...

, Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp. He graduated from and was a professor of dairy science at Iowa State College. He farmed near Orient, Iowa

Orient, Iowa

Orient is a city in Orient Township, Adair County, Iowa, United States. The population was 402 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Orient is located at ....

, where his son Henry A. Wallace

Henry A. Wallace

Henry Agard Wallace was the 33rd Vice President of the United States , the Secretary of Agriculture , and the Secretary of Commerce . In the 1948 presidential election, Wallace was the nominee of the Progressive Party.-Early life:Henry A...

 was born. Harry handled much of the daily details at Wallaces' Farmer and became editor when his father died. Harry Wallace helped establish 4-H clubs and extension programs in Iowa, and helped start the Iowa Farm Bureau.

He served as the longtime president of the Cornbelt Meat Producers Association. Appointed Secretary of Agriculture by President Warren G. Harding

Warren G. Harding

Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...

 in 1921, Harry Wallace promoted programs for American farmers struggling against over-production and the collapse of farm prices following the First World War

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. He continued to serve when the Vice-President, Calvin Coolidge

Calvin Coolidge

John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...

, succeeded to the Presidency on the death of President Harding in 1923 but died in office just 10 days before the next election in 1924. His book, Our Debt and Duty to the Farmer, was published posthumously.