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
BornEarl Lauer Butz
(1909-07-03)July 3, 1909
DiedFebruary 2, 2008(2008-02-02) (aged 98)
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.