Claude W. Gifford Papers, 1919-2004 | University of Illinois Archives

Description: Papers of Claude W. Gifford (1919- 2019), B.S. Agricultural Economics, Iowa State University (1946); University of Illinois, College of Agriculture Assistant Extension Editor (1947-48) and "Communicator in Residence" (1978); Farm Journal Associate Editor (1948-71); United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Director of Information (1971-77), Office of Information/ Communication/ Public Affairs (1977-98); contain biographical notes and commentaries, books, magazines, reprints, articles and drafts of story ideas, meeting and conference notes, reports, news clippings, presentations, photographs, scrapbooks, and USDA yearbooks, administrative manuals, and published USDA histories; concerning agricultural policy, farm journalism, and public relations on behalf of farming concerns, editing and publishing, radio broadcasting, state, federal and foreign governments, speeches and speechwriting, agricultural production and world markets, rural life, education, pesticide use and consumer issues; relating to the USDA, USDA Office of Information/ Communication/ Public Affairs, Farm Journal, American Agricultural Editors' Association (AAEA), 4-H, Future Farmers of America (FFA), and WILL Radio University of Illinois. Claude Gifford, as Communications Director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), coordinated audio recording of speeches given by USDA officials. He and his staff helped to coordinate these speaking events, and often wrote the speeches. These text and audio cassettes of speeches and testimony of USDA officials include: Clarence D. Palmby, Clifford Hardin, Earl Butz, John Block, and Edward Madigan. The Butz cassettes include recordings of speeches, press conferences, and interviews. Butz served as the Secretary of Agriculture under Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford from 1971-1976 resigning in 1976. These recordings range from January 1972 through July 1976, and include press conferences and interviews with organizations such as The Saturday Evening Post, The National Journal, and the Pat Collins show and speeches to organizations such as the Economic Club of Chicago, the North Dakota Bakers Association, and the National Association of Wheat Growers.