Orville Freeman
Encyclopedia
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 national Democratic Party convention.
and Norwegian
ancestry, Freeman is best remembered for initiating the Food Stamp Program
for under-resourced people which is still in use today. Freeman was a 1940 graduate of the University of Minnesota
, where he met his life-long friend and political ally, Hubert Humphrey
, and his future wife and lifelong partner Jane Shields. During World War II, he served as a combat officer in United States Marine Corps
, achieving the rank of major.
changed all that and on December 31, 1941 he received orders to report to Officer Candidate School
at Marine Corps Base Quantico
.
After graduating OCS and follow training to be an infantry officer, he reported to Camp Elliot
which was just outside of San Diego, California. He was soon assigned to the 9th Marine Regiment, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines
. His unit eventually shipped out overseas for periods of training in New Zealand and Guadalcanal
.
On November 1, 1943 he saw his first combat when his unit came ashore at Torokina
on Bougainville
in what were the first battles of the Bougainville Campaign. A few days later, while leading a patrol, he came across a group of 5 or 6 Japanese soldiers in a clearing. Although he did shoot, he was also injured in the jaw and left arm. Eventually, he was evacuated to an Army
hospital on New Caledonia
and then to a Naval
hospital on Noumea
. He returned to the United States in 1944 but never recovered enough movement in his arm to pass a Marine Corps physical and return to combat.
in 1946. Freeman went on to practice law in Minneapolis. He ran unsuccessfully for attorney general of Minnesota in 1950 and for governor in 1952.
Freeman was elected Governor in 1954, re-elected in 1956 and 1958, and after losing re-election in 1960 was appointed by President John F. Kennedy to serve as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. As governor, Freeman took the unusual action of declaring martial law
in the city of Albert Lea on December 11, 1959, to maintain law and order during a strike at the Wilson Packing Company. After twelve days, a federal court ruled that the Governor's imposition of martial law was inappropriate. Also while serving as governor, on November 13, 1955, Freeman was a guest on the variety show Toast of the Town (which would later be called The Ed Sullivan Show).
After his service as Secretary of Agriculture, Freeman headed two consulting businesses and later practiced law in Washington, D.C.
He died from complications of Alzheimer's disease
in 2003 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
ran unsuccessfully for Governor in 1998, and has served non-consecutive terms as County Attorney
for Hennepin County, Minnesota
(1991 to 1999, and 2007 to the present).
Governor of Minnesota
The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty different people have been governors of the state, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial...
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
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
and Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
. He was one of the founding members of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
and strongly influential in the merger of the pre-DFL Minnesota Democratic and Farmer-Labor
Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party was a political party in the United States state of Minnesota, the most successful and longest-lasting of the constituent elements of the national Farmer–Labor Party movement, which had a presence in other states...
Parties. Freeman nominated Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
for President at the national Democratic Party convention.
Early years
Born in 1918 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, of SwedishSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
ancestry, Freeman is best remembered for initiating the Food Stamp Program
Food Stamp Program
The United States Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program , historically and commonly known as the Food Stamp Program, is a federal-assistance program that provides assistance to low- and no-income people and families living in the U.S. Though the program is administered by the U.S. Department of...
for under-resourced people which is still in use today. Freeman was a 1940 graduate of the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, where he met his life-long friend and political ally, Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Jr. , served under President Lyndon B. Johnson as the 38th Vice President of the United States. Humphrey twice served as a United States Senator from Minnesota, and served as Democratic Majority Whip. He was a founder of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and...
, and his future wife and lifelong partner Jane Shields. During World War II, he served as a combat officer in United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, achieving the rank of major.
Marine Corps service
Figuring that the United States was going to be getting 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 HarborAttack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
changed all that and on December 31, 1941 he received orders to report to Officer Candidate School
Officer Candidates School (United States Marine Corps)
The United States Marine Corps Officer Candidates School is the entry-level training for Marine officers, equivalent to recruit training for enlisted Marines. Located at Marine Corps Base Quantico, the school trains, screens, and evaluates potential Marine Corps officers...
at Marine Corps Base Quantico
Marine Corps Base Quantico
Marine Corps Base Quantico, sometimes abbreviated MCB Quantico, is a major United States Marine Corps training base located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly in southern Prince William County, northern Stafford County, and southeastern Fauquier County...
.
After graduating OCS and follow training to be an infantry officer, he reported to Camp Elliot
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar , formerly Naval Air Station Miramar is a United States Marine Corps installation that is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is the aviation element of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force...
which was just outside of San Diego, California. He was soon assigned to the 9th Marine Regiment, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines
3rd Battalion 9th Marines
The 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Formed during World War I it served until the early 1990s when it was redesignated as 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines during a realignment and renumbering of the Marine Corps' infantry battalions, following the...
. His unit eventually shipped out overseas for periods of training in New Zealand and Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
.
On November 1, 1943 he saw his first combat when his unit came ashore at Torokina
Landings at Cape Torokina
The Landings at Cape Torokina were the beginning of the Bougainville campaign in World War II, between the military forces of the Empire of Japan and the Allied powers...
on Bougainville
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
in what were the first battles of the Bougainville Campaign. A few days later, while leading a patrol, he came across a group of 5 or 6 Japanese soldiers in a clearing. Although he did shoot, he was also injured in the jaw and left arm. Eventually, he was evacuated to an Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
hospital on New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
and then to a Naval
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
hospital on Noumea
Nouméa
Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...
. He returned to the United States in 1944 but never recovered enough movement in his arm to pass a Marine Corps physical and return to combat.
Post-war and governorship
He earned his LL.B. from the University of Minnesota Law SchoolUniversity of Minnesota Law School
The University of Minnesota Law School, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, is a professional school of the University of Minnesota. The school offers a Juris Doctor , Masters of Law for Foreign Lawyers, and joint degrees with J.D./M.B.A., J.D./M.P.A, J.D./M.A., J.D./M.S., J.D./Ph.D.,...
in 1946. Freeman went on to practice law in Minneapolis. He ran unsuccessfully for attorney general of Minnesota in 1950 and for governor in 1952.
Freeman was elected Governor in 1954, re-elected in 1956 and 1958, and after losing re-election in 1960 was appointed by President John F. Kennedy to serve as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. As governor, Freeman took the unusual action of declaring martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
in the city of Albert Lea on December 11, 1959, to maintain law and order during a strike at the Wilson Packing Company. After twelve days, a federal court ruled that the Governor's imposition of martial law was inappropriate. Also while serving as governor, on November 13, 1955, Freeman was a guest on the variety show Toast of the Town (which would later be called The Ed Sullivan Show).
After his service as Secretary of Agriculture, Freeman headed two consulting businesses and later practiced law in Washington, D.C.
He died from complications of Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
in 2003 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Legacy
His son Mike FreemanMichael O. Freeman
Michael O. "Mike" Freeman is an attorney and politician from the state of Minnesota. He is currently the county attorney for Hennepin County, the most populous county in the state, of which the county seat is Minneapolis. He is the son of Orville Freeman, who was a former Minnesota governor and...
ran unsuccessfully for Governor in 1998, and has served non-consecutive terms as County Attorney
County attorney
A county attorney in many areas of the United States is the chief legal officer for a county or local judicial district. It is usually an elected position...
for Hennepin County, Minnesota
Hennepin County, Minnesota
Hennepin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, named in honor of the 17th-century explorer Father Louis Hennepin. As of 2010 the population was 1,152,425. Its county seat is Minneapolis. It is by far the most populous county in Minnesota; more than one in five Minnesotans live...
(1991 to 1999, and 2007 to the present).
Awards and decorations
Known decorations and medals include:| Purple Heart Purple Heart The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York... |
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal is a service decoration of the Second World War which was awarded to any member of the United States military who served in the Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1945 and was created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was... w/ service star |
World War II Victory Medal |
See also
- List of notable United States Marines
External links
- The Personal papers of Orville Freeman are available for research use at the Minnesota Historical Society.
- Oral History Interviews with Orville Freeman, from the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library