ATLANTA — Sonny Perdue, the current chancellor of the University of Georgia, and former U.S. agriculture secretary and Georgia governor, recently joined the ranks of some very prestigious individuals in the history of the nation’s agriculture industries. Perdue was inducted in October into the National Agriculture Hall of Fame.
Since its congressional formation in 1960 such U.S. political figures as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln, and agriculture innovators like George Washington Carver, Eli Whitney and John Deere, just to name a few, have either been inducted, or posthumously inducted, for the national honor.
Perdue was nominated for induction for his contributions to U.S. agriculture by Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, with support from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, and Zippy Duvall, American Farm Bureau Federation president.
Perdue is just the third Georgian to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The other two being U.S. Sen. Hoke Smith (1855-1931), who co-sponsored the Smith-Lever Bill of 1914 that established a national Cooperative Extension Service. And U.S. Rep. Dudley Mays Hughes (1848-1927) who co-sponsored the Smith-Hughes Act that was signed into law as the Vocational Education Act of 1917.
“I am deeply honored to join just two other Georgians in the National Agriculture Hall of Fame,” Perdue said in an announcement. “Agriculture is more than food and resources — it’s the foundation of thriving communities.”
“From my childhood growing up on a diversified row crop farm in Middle Georgia, to serving in the Georgia General Assembly, as Georgia’s 81st Governor, the 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, and now Chancellor of the University System of Georgia, I’ve always championed the growers and protectors of our food and our natural resources,” he added. “This recognition belongs to them. I’m proud to have stood shoulder to shoulder with these patriotic, God fearing, USA-loving patriots in the mission to do right and feed everyone.”
“Chancellor Perdue has been a lifelong champion for agriculture, and his countless contributions … will continue to positively impact farmers in Georgia and across the country for years to come,” Harper said. “I am incredibly proud to call Chancellor Perdue a close friend and mentor and to see his decades of dedicated service recognized with this well-deserved award.”
“Sonny has dedicated his life to supporting farmers and investing in rural communities both in his home state and across the country,” Kemp added. “His contributions in this field have made our country stronger and will now be cemented in history forever.”
Duvall noted that Perdue’s “lifelong dedication to farmers has helped maintain our nation’s food security and advanced American agriculture. I’m proud to call him a colleague and a friend. No one is more deserving of this honor.”
The National Agriculture Center and Hall of Fame, located near Kansas City, Kan., was federally chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1960 and signed by then President Dwight D. Eisenhower. This national agriculture museum was designed to serve as a memorial for notable individuals to the nation’s farming industries, and those who made outstanding contributions to the advancement of agriculture. Nominations can only be made by state-level agriculture commissioners, or members of the U.S. House & Senate Agriculture Committees.
“As Georgia’s only U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny brought his strong business acumen to USDA, streamlining programs and services to better serve constituents,” Tom McCall, Georgia Farm Bureau president added. “Now as Chancellor of Georgia’s University System, we are proud to have Sonny back home leading our next generation and cultivating a foundation for the success of farmers and rural communities. Congratulations, Sonny, on this tremendous achievement and well-deserved recognition for a lifetime of service and leadership.”
