Earl Butz

Earl Butz
18th United States Secretary of Agriculture
In office
December 2, 1971  October 4, 1976
PresidentRichard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Preceded byClifford M. Hardin
Succeeded byJohn Knebel
Personal details
Born
Earl Lauer Butz

(1909-07-03)July 3, 1909
Albion, Indiana, U.S.
DiedFebruary 2, 2008(2008-02-02) (aged 98)
Kensington, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Mary Powell
(m. 1937; died 1995)
Children2
EducationPurdue University, West Lafayette (BS, MS, PhD)

Earl Lauer "Rusty" Butz (July 3, 1909 – February 2, 2008) was a United States government official who served as the secretary of agriculture under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. His policies favored large-scale corporate farming and an end to New Deal programs.