Earl Butz

Earl Lauer “Rusty” Butz (July 3, 1909 – February 2, 2008) was an American public servant who held the office of United States Secretary of Agriculture from 1971 to 1976. Confirmed by the Senate, he served under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford and oversaw a period of significant change in federal agricultural policy, including the restructuring of New Deal‑era farm support programs and the promotion of large‑scale commodity production.

Early life and career

Butz was born on July 3, 1909, in Albion, Indiana, where he grew up on his parents’ 160‑acre dairy farm in Noble County. As the eldest of five children, he spent much of his youth working alongside his family on the farm’s daily operations. His formal education began at a one‑room country school, which he attended through eighth grade before enrolling in high school; he graduated from that institution as part of a class of seven students.

He pursued higher education at Purdue University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture in 1932 and later completed a doctorate in agricultural economics in 1937. While at Purdue, he joined the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. In 1930, while attending a National 4‑H Camp in Washington, D.C., he met Mary Emma Powell from North Carolina; they married on December 22, 1937. The couple had two sons, William Powell and Thomas Earl Butz.

After completing his doctorate, Butz entered the professional world of agricultural economics. In 1948, he became vice president of the American Agricultural Economics Association, a position he held until 1951 when he was appointed to the same role at the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. His growing reputation led to federal appointments: in 1954 President Dwight D. Eisenhower named him Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, and that same year he served as chairman of the United States delegation to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

In 1957, Butz left his assistant secretary post to become Dean of Agriculture at Purdue University, returning to his alma mater in a leadership capacity. He remained there until 1968, when he was promoted to Dean of Education and vice president of the university’s research foundation. That same year, he entered politics by running for Governor of Indiana; however, he finished third at the Republican state convention behind eventual winner Edgar Whitcomb and future governor Otis R. Bowen.

Cabinet tenure

President Richard Nixon appointed Butz as Secretary of Agriculture in 1971, a role he continued to occupy after Nixon’s resignation in 1974 during Gerald Ford’s administration. During his five‑year tenure, the department underwent extensive policy reforms that shifted federal support away from New Deal–style programs toward larger, commodity‑focused agriculture.

One notable change was the elimination of a program that had paid corn farmers not to plant all of their available land—a measure originally intended to curb excess supply and stabilize prices. In its place, Butz promoted an approach that encouraged large‑scale planting of commodity crops such as corn across entire farms, encapsulated in his popular phrase “get big or get out.” This strategy coincided with the expansion of major agribusiness corporations and a corresponding decline in the financial viability of small family farms.

In 1972, amid a severe harvest crisis in the Soviet Union, Butz facilitated the sale of 30 million tons of American grain to that nation. The transaction was intended to support U.S. crop prices during a period when domestic food costs were rising sharply and to influence political sentiment among farmers who might otherwise lean toward opposition candidates.

Butz’s influence on corn production also earned him recognition in the documentary *King Corn*, where he is portrayed as a key figure behind the rise of large commercial farms and the increased prevalence of corn in American diets. He argued that subsidies for corn had lowered food costs nationwide by improving farming efficiency, thereby benefiting consumers across socioeconomic groups.

The latter part of his tenure was marked by controversy. In 1974, at the World Food Conference in Rome, he made a joke about Pope Paul VI’s stance on population control; the remark prompted an apology and a request from the White House for a formal statement clarifying that no offense had been intended toward any religious group.

In October 1976, following the Republican National Convention, Butz was reported to have made a racist comment aboard a commercial flight. The incident led to widespread media coverage and criticism. On October 4, 1976, he resigned from his position as Secretary of Agriculture, concluding his service in that office.

Legacy

Butz’s tenure is remembered for its decisive shift toward large‑scale commodity agriculture and the restructuring of federal farm support mechanisms. His policies contributed to a period of increased agricultural productivity but also intensified debates over the sustainability of small family farms and the environmental impacts of intensive farming practices. The controversies surrounding his remarks in 1974 and 1976 have remained part of discussions about conduct within the federal cabinet.

After leaving public office, Butz lived until February 2, 2008, when he passed away at the age of 98. His career spanned academia, professional associations, state politics, and national leadership, reflecting a long engagement with agricultural policy and education in the United States.