John G. Veneman was a Republican politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 from Modesto, California

Modesto, California

Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....

. He was born in Corcoran

Corcoran, California

Corcoran is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Corcoran is located south-southeast of Hanford, at an elevation of 207 feet . It is part of the Hanford–Corcoran, Metropolitan Statistical Area...

 and died in Sacramento

Sacramento, California

Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...

. He was elected to the California State Assembly

California State Assembly

The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...

 for the 30th District five times in succession, between 1962 and 1968. In 1969 he resigned to become Under Secretary at the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare under Secretary of HEW Robert Finch

Robert Finch

Robert Hutchison Finch was a Republican politician from La Canada Flintridge, California. Born in Tempe, Arizona, he was the son of Robert L. Finch, a member of the Arizona House of Representatives....

. In 1974 he was unsuccessful in a bid to become Lieutenant Governor of California

Lieutenant Governor of California

The Lieutenant Governor of California is a statewide constitutional officer elected separately from the Governor who serves as the "vice-executive" of California. The Lieutenant Governor of California is elected to serve a four year term and can serve a maximum of two terms...

.

He was the father of Ann Veneman

Ann Veneman

Ann Margaret Veneman is the former Executive Director of UNICEF, a position she held from 2005 to 2010. Her appointment was announced on January 18, 2005 by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Previously, Veneman was the United States Secretary of Agriculture, the first and only woman to hold that...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Secretary of Agriculture 2001-2005. The portion of State Route 99 from the Stanislaus County

Stanislaus County, California

Stanislaus County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. As the price of housing has increased in the San Francisco Bay Area, many people who work in the southern reaches of the Bay Area have opted for the longer commute and moved to Stanislaus County for the...

 line to State Route 132

California State Route 132

State Route 132 is a route in the Central Valley that leads to the Sierra Nevada foothills and the California Gold Country. It also connects the city of Modesto with the San Francisco Bay Area via I-580, although this route is discouraged due to it being a two-lane road between Modesto and...

in Modesto is named the "John G. Veneman Freeway". It was named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 171, Chapter 131, in 1984.