Iowa Almanac
Iowa Almanac -- Friday, August 16, 2024
Iowa's Ag Ambassador. More from the Iowa Almanac in a moment. Eat up the summer with an Iowa Soybean Association Farmer Membership powered by the Soybean Check-Off. Access timely industry info, engage in on-farm research, and join producer programs all designed to support your operations' unique needs. Activate or confirm your membership before August 31st to be entered to win one of many unique prizes, including a solo stove. Visit isoybeans.com today to learn more. The Iowa Soybean Association driven to deliver for Iowa's nearly 37,000 soybean farmers. James Wilson was born in Scotland on August 16, 1835, but his strong identification with Iowa and agriculture is what made him well known. Jim's family came to the U.S. in 1851, and after four years in Connecticut, they moved to a Scotch settlement in Tama County. Just before the Civil War, Jim and his brother Peter began farming. When the war started, they decided that Peter should join the Union Army while Jim stayed back to farm. When Peter returned, Jim had doubled the size of the farm, which was well stocked. He served in the Iowa House, becoming Speaker in 1872. He was on the State Board of Regents and later was elected to Congress. But agriculture was in his blood, so he returned to Iowa and became a Professor of Agriculture at Iowa State College. He is generally recognized as laying the foundation for what became the greatest ag college in the country. President William McKinley asked him to serve as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture in 1897, the man by then known as Tama Jim Wilson accepted and served 16 years in the post under three presidents. No one else had ever served that many years in presidential cabinets. He insisted that the Ag Department do practical things to help farmers, stressing better living and better crops and livestock. Bringing agriculture into the 20th century, Iowa's Tama Jim Wilson was born on this state in 1835. And that's Iowa Almanac for August 16th. There's more online at IowaAlmanac.com. Until Monday, I'm Jeff Stein.