Orville Freeman | |
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| 16thUnited States Secretary of Agriculture | |
| In office January 21, 1961 – January 20, 1969 | |
| President | John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | Ezra Taft Benson |
| Succeeded by | Clifford M. Hardin |
| 29thGovernor of Minnesota | |
| In office January 5, 1955 – January 2, 1961 | |
| Lieutenant | Karl Rolvaag |
| Preceded by | C. Elmer Anderson |
| Succeeded by | Elmer L. Andersen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Orville Lothrop Freeman (1918-05-09)May 9, 1918 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | February 20, 2003(2003-02-20) (aged 84) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Resting place | Lakewood Cemetery |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2, includingMichael |
| Education | University of Minnesota(BA,LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Marine Corps |
| Rank | Major |
| Battles/wars | World War II • Battle of Bougainville |
Orville Lothrop Freeman (May 9, 1918 – February 20, 2003) was an American politician who served as the29th governor of Minnesota from 1955 to 1961, and as theU.S. secretary of agriculture from 1961 to 1969 under PresidentsJohn F. Kennedy andLyndon B. Johnson. He was one of the founding members of theMinnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party and influential in the merger of theMinnesota Democratic andFarmer-Labor parties. Freeman nominated Kennedy for president at the1960 Democratic National Convention.
Freeman was born on May 9, 1918, inMinneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Orville and Frances (Schroeder) Freeman.[1] His grandfather had emigrated fromSweden to a farm in ruralZumbrota, Minnesota. He attendedCentral High School in Minneapolis.[2] In 1940, Freeman graduatedmagna cum laude andPhi Beta Kappa from theUniversity of Minnesota, where he was a reserve quarterback onthe football team and where he met his lifelong friend and political allyHubert Humphrey. He also met his wife, Jane Charlotte Shields,[3] in college. They married on May 2, 1942, and had two children.
Figuring that the United States would eventually become involved in World War II, Freeman signed up for theMarine Reserve in 1940 with the understanding he could finish law school before he fulfilled his required service. Theattack on Pearl Harbor ended that arrangement, and on December 31, 1941, he received orders to report toOfficer Candidate School atMarine Corps Base Quantico.[4]
After graduating and following training to be an infantry officer, Freeman reported toCamp Elliot, just outsideSan Diego,California. He was soon assigned to the9th Marine Regiment, Kilo Company,3rd Battalion, 9th Marines. His unit shipped out overseas for periods of training inNew Zealand andGuadalcanal.[4]
On November 1, 1943, Freeman saw his first combat when his unit came ashore atTorokina onBougainville in what were the first battles of theBougainville Campaign. A few days later, while he was leading a patrol, he encountered a group of five or six Japanese soldiers in a clearing. An exchange of gunfire followed, and Freeman was wounded in the jaw and left arm. He was evacuated to aUS Army hospital onNew Caledonia and then to aNaval hospital onNouméa. He returned to the U.S. in 1944 but never recovered enough movement in his arm to pass a Marine Corps physical to return to combat.[4]
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Freeman earned hisLL.B. from theUniversity of Minnesota Law School in 1946. He then practiced law in Minneapolis.[5] Freeman also served as secretary (1946-1948) and chairman (1948-1950) of the newly formed Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party,[6] was a political aide to his college friend Humphrey, who wasmayor of Minneapolis at the time, and managed Humphrey's successful1948 campaign for theU.S. Senate. He ran unsuccessfully forattorney general of Minnesota in 1950 and for governor in1952.[5]
Freeman waselected governor in 1954, becoming the state's first DFL governor, and reelected in1956 and1958. He took the unusual action of declaringmartial law in the city ofAlbert Lea on December 11, 1959, to maintain law and order during a strike at the Wilson Packing Company. After 12 days, a federal court ruled that martial law was inappropriate.[7] On November 13, 1955, Freeman was a guest on the variety showToast of the Town, which was later calledThe Ed Sullivan Show.
In July 1960, Freeman nominated U.S. SenatorJohn F. Kennedy for president at the1960 Democratic National Convention.
Following his defeat for reelection as governor in 1960, Freeman was appointed as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture by the newly elected President Kennedy, and he was retained in that post by PresidentLyndon B. Johnson. He served until January 21, 1969.
Later, Freeman headed two consulting businesses and practiced law inWashington, D.C.[5] He was president and CEO ofBusiness International Corporation from 1970 to 1985.[8]
Freeman died from complications ofAlzheimer's disease on February 20, 2003, in Minneapolis.[5] He was buried in that city'sLakewood Cemetery.
Freeman is remembered for submitting proposed legislation to establish theFood Stamp Program for the poor, which is still in use today.[9]
His sonMike Freeman ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1998 and served non-consecutive terms asCounty Attorney forHennepin County, Minnesota (1991 to 1999, and 2007 to 2023).
Freeman's decorations and medals include:
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| Purple Heart | Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ service star | World War II Victory Medal |
Bibliography
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| Party political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Francis M. Smith | Democratic nominee forAttorney General of Minnesota 1950 | Succeeded by Allan L. Johnson |
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Minnesota 1952,1954,1956,1958,1960 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Minnesota 1955–1961 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States Secretary of Agriculture 1961–1969 | Succeeded by |
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