Secretary Richard E. Lyng passed away on February 1. Secretary Ann M. Veneman called him “a visionary leader in agriculture who worked passionately on behalf of this nation’s farmers and ranchers. He was a friend, a mentor and person of great integrity whose insight, candor, and wisdom will be sorely missed.”

Lyng was born in San Francisco on June 29, 1918. He graduated from Notre Dame University in 1940 and was president of the Ed J. Lyng Company, a family seed and bean production and processing firm, from 1949 to 1967. In 1967, he was appointed the chief deputy director of the California State Department of Agriculture.

From March 3, 1969, to January 23, 1973, Lyng was the USDA assistant secretary for marketing and consumer services. From 1973 to 1979, he served as president of the American Meat Institute. From February 5, 1981, until January 18, 1985, he served as USDA’s Deputy Secretary. In 1985 Lyng, along with William Lesher, formed Lyng and Lesher Inc., an agricultural consulting firm in Washington DC. On February 22, 1986, he was appointed Secretary, serving until January 20, 1989.

“Secretary Lyng shared many friends and colleagues and touched the lives of so many people. Today while we mourn his loss, we also celebrate a remarkable man and an inspiring life journey,” Veneman said.

Orville Freeman, Secretary of Agriculture to President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon Johnson, also died in February. A native of Minnesota, he was born on May 9, 1918. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1940. He also received his law degree at Minnesota in 1946 after serving as a Marine officer in World War II. Freeman practiced law in Minneapolis and participated in Minneapolis municipal affairs. He was elected Governor of Minnesota in 1954 and served three terms.

“Secretary Freeman will be long remembered for his dedicated service to our country as a three-term Governor of Minnesota and for his stewardship of the Department of Agriculture for nearly all of the 1960’s. He was a friend of the American farmer and made a significant impact on the entire food and agriculture system during his leadership at the Department,” Veneman said.