Wallace, Henry Cantwell

Wallace, Henry Cantwell, 1866–1924, American agricultural leader and cabinet officer, b. Rock Island, Ill., grad. Iowa State College of Agriculture (now Iowa State Univ.), 1892; son of Henry Wallace (1836–1916) and father of Henry Agard Wallace. Harry Wallace, as he often was called, was associated with his father in founding Wallaces' Farmer and served as assistant editor until 1916, then becoming editor. He held government posts in World War I, and later (1921) President Warren G. Harding appointed him secretary of agriculture. In spite of opposition from the packing interests, Wallace continued to serve under President Calvin Coolidge. He reorganized the department and died in office. His views were set forth in his book, Our Debt and Duty to the Farmer (1925).

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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