The New Student's Reference Work/Wilson, James H.

Wilson, James H., U. S. Secretary of Agriculture since March 5th, 1897, was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, Aug. 16th, 1835. He came to the United States in 1852, and settled in Norwich, Conn., with his parents. In 1855 he moved to Tama County, Iowa, where in 1861 he engaged in farming. He was a member of the 12th, 13th and 14th assemblies of Iowa, of the last of which he was speaker. He was the state's railway commissioner and a member of Congress during 1873-7 and 1883-5. Prom 1870 until 1874 he was regent of the University of Iowa. From 1890 until 1897 he was director of the Iowa Agricultural Experiment-Station, and for a time he was professor of agriculture at Iowa Agricultural College. He was awarded the degree of LL. D. by the University of Wisconsin in 1904. In 1894 he was appointed Secretary of Agriculture by President McKinley, and was retained by President Roosevelt.