Orville Freeman

Orville Freeman
Orville L. Freeman Photograph in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.
16th U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
In office January 20, 1961 – January 21, 1969
President	John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson
Preceded by	Ezra Taft Benson
Succeeded by	Clifford M. Hardin
29th Governor of Minnesota
In office January 5, 1955 – January 2, 1961
Lieutenant	Karl Rolvaag
Preceded by	C. Elmer Anderson
Succeeded by	Elmer L. Andersen
Personal details
Born	Orville Lothrop Freeman (1918-05-09)May 9, 1918 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	February 20, 2003(2003-02-20) (aged 84) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Resting place	Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Political party	Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party
Spouse(s)	Jane Shields Freeman (m. 1942 – 2003; his death)
Children	Michael Orville Freeman Constance Jane Freeman
Parents	Orville Freeman (merchant) Frances Schroeder Freeman
Alma mater	University of Minnesota (B.A, J.D)
Profession	Marine, politician
Religion	Lutheran
Military service
Service/branch	USMC
Rank	Major
Battles/wars	World War II * Battle of Bougainville

Orville Lothrop Freeman (May 9, 1918 – February 20, 2003) was an American Democratic politician who served as the 29th Governor of Minnesota from January 5, 1955 to January 2, 1961, and as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture from 1961 to 1969 under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He was one of the founding members of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and strongly influential in the merger of the pre-DFL Minnesota Democratic and Farmer-Labor Parties. Freeman nominated Kennedy for President at the 1960 Democratic Party national convention.

Freeman was born on May 9, 1918, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was of Swedish and Norwegian ancestry. Freeman was a 1940 graduate of the University of Minnesota, where he met his lifelong friend and political ally, Hubert H. Humphrey. He also met his wife, Jane Charlotte Shields, in college. They married on May 2, 1942. Orville and Jane Freeman had two children, Michael Orville and Constance Jane Freeman. During World War II, Freeman served as a combat officer in United States Marine Corps and achieved the rank of Major.

Figuring that the United States would eventually become involved in World War II, Freeman signed up for the Marine Reserves in late 1940 with the understanding he could finish law school before fulfilling his required service. The attack on Pearl Harbor changed that agreement, and on December 31, 1941 he received orders to report to Officer Candidate School at Marine Corps Base Quantico.