Bureau of Animal Industry

President Chester A. Arthur signed the Animal Industry Act (23 STAT 31) on May 29, 1884 creating the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), an organization that was established under the United States Department of Agriculture. It replaced the Veterinary Division that had been created by the Commissioner of Agriculture in 1883, which had taken over for the Treasury Cattle Commission, Department of Treasury.

The BAI was charged with preventing diseased animals from being used as food. Congress created the Bureau to promote livestock disease research, enforce animal import regulations, and regulate the interstate movement of animals. In the years to follow, positions were created within BAI to support inspection activities at U.S. ports of entry.[1] The early focus of the bureau was to eradicate the most damaging, most communicable livestock diseases. Throughout its history, the Bureau of Animal Industry had many other important divisions, most notable of these were Animal Husbandry, Animal Nutrition, Animal Pathology, Dairy, and Zoological. These divisions had a multitude of tasks related to animal industry, including: research, disease eradication, breeding, inspection, and even marketing of animal products.

By August 1884, the Treasury Department's quarantine stations were transferred to the BAI. Stations in Baltimore, New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, along with the customs' offices on the Canadian and Mexican borders, these stations served as safeguards against foreign animal diseases.

The BAI, under the direction of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) ran from 1884-1942 on its own. In 1942 the BAI became part of the Agricultural Research Administration by Executive Order 9069 on Feb. 23, 1942. In 1953 the BAI was abolished by Secretary’s Memorandum 1320, supplement 4 on November 2, 1953. The Dwight Eisenhower Administration made major organizational changes at the USDA. Scientific bureaus, including the Bureau of Animal Industry were abolished and their functions were transferred to the newly established Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Its duties were divided among several branches: Animal Disease and Parasite Research, Animal and Poultry Husbandry Research, Animal Disease Eradication, Animal Inspection, and Quarantine and Meat Inspection all under the Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

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