Edwin T. Meredith

Edwin T. Meredith was an American entrepreneur and public servant who served as the United States Secretary of Agriculture during the final months of President Woodrow Wilson’s administration. Born in 1876, he built a career in agricultural publishing before entering federal service, where he held cabinet office for one year. After leaving government, he returned to publishing, expanding his media holdings and influencing American home and garden culture until his death in 1928.

Early life and career

Edwin Thomas Meredith entered the world on December 23, 1876, in Avoca, Iowa, to parents Minerva Jane (née Marsh) and Thomas Oliver Meredith. He pursued higher education at Highland Park College in Des Moines, a local institution that provided him with foundational knowledge before he embarked upon his professional journey. In 1894, at the age of eighteen, Meredith assumed the role of general manager for the *Farmer’s Tribune*, a newspaper that had been operated by his grandfather and aligned with progressive rural interests. His early experience in journalism would prove formative as he later turned to publishing agricultural content on a larger scale.

Meredith married Edna C. Elliott on January 8, 1896. The couple settled in Des Moines, where they raised two children: Edwin T. “Ed” Meredith II and Mildred M. Bohen. His family life coincided with his growing involvement in the publishing world. He continued to run the *Farmer’s Tribune* until 1902, when he launched his own periodical, *Successful Farming*. The magazine quickly gained traction among farmers and agricultural professionals; by 1908 it had amassed a subscriber base of one hundred thousand, reflecting both Meredith’s editorial vision and the growing demand for practical farming information.

Beyond his own publication, Meredith held leadership positions within professional associations that represented agricultural media. He served as vice president and later president of the Agricultural Publishers Association, where he advocated for the interests of farm-focused periodicals. His influence extended into broader commercial circles; from 1915 to 1919, and again from 1923 until his death in 1928, he sat on the board of directors of the United States Chamber of Commerce. In these roles he contributed to discussions about commerce and industry that intersected with agricultural policy and rural development.

Meredith’s public profile was further enhanced by his participation in national advisory bodies during World War I. He joined the Treasury Department’s Advisory Committee on Excess Profits, where he helped assess wartime economic conditions. Simultaneously, from 1918 to 1920 he served as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, placing him at the nexus of regional financial oversight and national monetary policy. In 1918 President Wilson selected Meredith for the American War Mission, a delegation that visited England and France to observe U.S. military operations and report recommendations on improving conditions for service members.

Cabinet tenure

On February 2, 1920, President Woodrow Wilson appointed Edwin T. Meredith as Secretary of Agriculture, succeeding David F. Houston who had moved to the Treasury Department. The United States Senate confirmed his appointment; however, no specific vote tally or date is recorded in the available sources. Meredith’s term lasted until 1921, when Henry C. Wallace assumed the position at the start of President Warren G. Harding’s administration. During this brief period, Meredith was responsible for overseeing the Department of Agriculture and implementing federal policies related to farming and rural affairs, though detailed records of his actions in office are not provided here.

Legacy

After stepping down from cabinet service, Meredith returned to the publishing world with renewed vigor. In 1922 he purchased *Dairy Farmer*, a periodical that catered to dairy producers across the country. He subsequently launched a new magazine titled *Fruit, Garden, and Home*. This publication would later be renamed *Better Homes and Gardens*, a title that has endured in American media for many decades and became synonymous with domestic lifestyle content.

Meredith’s influence extended into national politics beyond his publishing career. In 1924 he supported William G. McAdoo’s presidential campaign; when the convention became deadlocked, Meredith offered himself as Iowa’s “favorite son” candidate before the nomination ultimately went to John W. Davis after a protracted balloting process. Davis invited Meredith to accept the vice‑presidential slot, but Meredith declined. Plans were later made for him to seek the presidency again in 1928, but illness prevented his participation.

Edwin T. Meredith passed away on June 17, 1928, in Des Moines and was interred at Glendale Masonic Cemetery in the same city. His company, the Meredith Corporation, continued publishing *Better Homes and Gardens* along with other magazines after his death. In recognition of his contributions to advertising and media, he was later inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame. The professional magazine *Professional Remodeler* honored him in 2008 as one of the eleven most influential figures in the history of remodeling.

Through his entrepreneurial ventures in agricultural publishing, brief federal service, and post‑government business activities, Edwin T. Meredith left a lasting imprint on American media and rural life.