Despite his tenure only lasting 18 days, ag journalist Norman Jay Coleman was the first person to lead the United States Department of Agriculture.
President Grover Cleveland appointed Coleman to the post on Feb. 15, 1889. He remained in the position until March 6.
The presidential election that saw Benjamin Harrison defeat Grover Cleveland led to Coleman’s short time as ag secretary.
He was instrumental in writing the Hatch Act of 1887, which gave state land-grant colleges $15,000 each to create ag experiment stations.