USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary

No great accomplishments happen in government without a paper trail, and the creation and work of the Foreign Agricultural Service is no exception. 

In anticipation of its 50th Anniversary, FAS has collected many of the important documents that serve as informative mileposts of its history. Check back throughout the year as we continue to add to this treasure-trove of original documents.

FAS would like to acknowledge the work of the Special Collections section at the National Agricultural Library for collecting, organizing and preserving these documents.

1950's

Secretary's Memorandum No. 1320, Supplement 1
Dated March 10, 1953, this memo from Secretary of Agriculture Benson created FAS out of the old Office of Foreign Agricultural Relations (OFAR). It also spelled out the activities of the new organization and appointed Romeo E. Short director of the new agency.

USDA Press Release # 583-53
Released on March 11, 1953, this document entitled "Secretary Benson Creates New Foreign Agricultural Service" announced the new agency to the world.

Statement by the Honorable Samuel Yorty
In this excerpt from the Congressional Record dated May 26, 1954, Rep. Samuel Yorty of California argues that the House of Representatives should approve H.R. 8033, soon to become P.L. 83-690, which brought the foreign agricultural attaches from the State Department to FAS.