Evening star., 1940-08-25
Wickord First Learned of Nomination
To Cabinet by Overheoring Broadcast
News Received by
Chance While He
Talked With Friend
By NELSON SHEPARD.

administration Official to learn for
the fist time of his nomination to
a cabinet post through the acciden-
tai overhearing of a radio news
broadcast.
Yet that is what happened last
Monday in the little city of Biloxi,
Miss, to Undersecretary Of Agricul-
ture Claude r. Wickard, who was
selected to succeed Henry Wallace
as Secretary of Agriculture in what
may be the start of White House
policy of promotion to the cabinet
from the ranks.
To Mr.. Wickard this experience
furnished the thrill of lifetime and
he is the kind OF man to get real
kick out of telling it, which he did
the minute he returned hastily to
Washington. This is how it hap
pened
Mr.. Wickard was attending Farm
Bureau training school convention
in Biloxi the day the news of his
appointment was announced at the
White House. He was lounging in
hotel lobby discussing his favorite
subject of soil building practices
with a chance acquaintance against
the competition of blaring news re-
ports from Washington.
Hears Name on Radio.
Suddenly his attention was divert
ed by the mention of his name over
the radio. The commentator was
announcing that President Roose-
welt had just forwarded his nomina-
ton as Secretary of Agriculture to
the Senate
why. that's YOU the acquaint-
ance exclaimed, grabbing him by the
arm. Then the excited man turned
to the crowd idling in the lobby and
shouted: why. this is the guy
they're talking about, right here be-
side me-" Congratulate tions were in
order and Mr.. Wickard, to hear him
relate it, was "tickled to death"
The man who is to succeed Secre-
tary Wallace when the Presidents
running mate relinquishes the agri-
culture post on September 5 10 start
active campaigning is 8 real Indiana
dirt" farmer and he's proud of it.
Like the grain he plants yearly
on his homestead farm in Carroll
County, he boasts that he came
out of the soil"
Mr.. Wickard doesnt mind in the
least that he is far better known in
the hog and corn belt" than he is
in Washington, where he came first
as subordinate Official in 1888.
WashingtonianS, in fact, knew him
scarcely at all before his nomination,
but as Secretary of Agriculture, he
is the type of man who will add
color and vim to cabinet sessions.
Doesn't Look the Part.
This 47-year-old Indianian, who
is admirably qualified by experience
and technical training to fill the
official shoes of Secretary Wallace,
may be dirt farmer, but he doesn't
look the part. known as swell
dresser" alert and snappy in speech
and action, Mr. Wickard looks more
like a we'll conditioned business ex-
ecutive. A well-muscled frame, in
clined to stockiness. is his physical
inheritance from years of hard work
on the farm. But idioms that creep
into his speech, more than any
thing else, give him away.
When Mr.. Wickard wants some
official matter done In hurry, he
is apt to exclaim impatiently: When
it's time to plant corn I want to
plant corn and there's only one
time to plant corn" His of1ce force
knows what he means.
He is perfectly at ease in an OFF,
cial or social gathering and except
that his conversation sooner or later
always drifts to his favorite topic,
no one would take him for the
actual farmer that he still is. despite
seven years of official activities. But
when he goes back to his Indiana
homestead he reverts to type. He
makes no secret of the fact that 1t
is the life he loves.
Mr.. Wickard was born on a farm,
grew up on a farm and until he
came to Washington lived in the
same house in which he was born
February %, 1893. The Wickard
farm, located near Camden, end
consisting now Of $50 acres. has been
in his family since the 1840s. 1t
came to them as an original land
grant. With the assistance Of his
father, he continues to operate the
same farm on a general grain and
livestock basis.
ANDREW Jackson Democrat
Mr.. Wickard likes to tell friends
that he is a real Andrew Jack
son Democrat" His father is An
drew jackson Wickard and his
grandfather also bore the name Of
Andrew Jackson The father, now
well past 10, stays on the farm to
keep things running But Mr.. Wick
ard, from Washington, does all the
buying and selling and takes hasty
trips back and forth to keep an
eye on things.
He started farming with his
father when he was big enough to
guide a pillow. While attending high
school he performed the chores and
later when he attended Purdue Uni
versity. not far from his home. he
continued to help his father. Fol-
lowing graduation in 1915 he took
over complete management of the
farm
Mr.. Wickard is proud of the title
he bears as a master farmer OF In
diana. 1t was bestowed on him in
1927 by a Midwestern farm maga-
zine, the Prairie Farmer, in recog-
milton of his work as a farm leader
and the improved methods of farm
operation which he practiced. He
pioneered in the use of soil-build-
ing practices on his farm and re-
ceived gold medals and other State
wide recognition for his success In
1Ie