Subseries III.1. Secretary's Memoranda, 1893 - 2005

The Secretary's Memoranda are official statements from the Secretary of Agriculture, and provide the legal basis for administrative actions within USDA. They were issued in both numbered and unnumbered formats. The numbered series began in 1913 and was discontinued in 1981. Unnumbered memoranda were issued before, as well as concurrently with, the numbered series, and continue to the present day. Several indexes to the numbered series are filed after the last numbered memo. An index to the unnumbered memos covers only the years 1897-1913.

These memos cover such diverse topics as USDA employee policies and procedures, appointments and establishment of boards, committees, and groups, and fiscal and property regulations. Examples of memo topics include Rules & Regulations governing Leaves of Absence in USDA, Employment of Women, Safety in American Agriculture, USDA Policy on Sale of Surplus Pesticides, and the Cotton Marketing Task Force.

Memos were issued by all Secretaries of Agriculture in the time period covered, including J. Sterling Morton, James Wilson, David F. Houston, Edwin T. Meredith, Henry C. Wallace, Howard M. Gore, William M. Jardine, Arthur M. Hyde, Henry A. Wallace, Claude R. Wickard, Clinton P. Anderson, Charles F. Brannan, Ezra Taft Benson, Orville L. Freeman, Clifford M. Hardin, Earl L. Butz, Bob Bergland, John R. Block, Richard Lyng, Clayton K. Yeutter, Edward R. Madigan, Mike Espy, and Dan Glickman. Memoranda also were issued by individuals in the position of Acting Secretary, including Renick W. Dunlap, Charles F. Martin, K. T. Hutchison, and True D. Morse.

While this collection of memoranda is extensive, it is not complete. Few memos are missing even though the index may list their dates of issue and topics. Other memos are represented only by transcriptions or summaries from other sources.