Vilsack, Tom (1950-…), became United States secretary of agriculture in 2021 under President Joe Biden. He had previously served in the position under President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017. Before joining the Cabinet, Vilsack, a Democrat, served as governor of Iowa from 1999 to 2007.
Thomas James Vilsack was born on Dec. 31, 1950, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was adopted from an orphanage in 1951. He received a bachelor’s degree in history from Hamilton College in 1972 and a law degree from Albany Law School in 1975.
After graduation from law school, Vilsack moved to Mount Pleasant, Iowa, the hometown of his wife, Christine. He worked as an attorney in his father-in-law’s private practice. Vilsack eventually became the practice’s co-manager before winning election as Mount Pleasant’s mayor in 1987. He served as mayor until 1992, when he was elected to the Iowa Senate. He served in the state Senate until 1998, when he was elected governor. He was reelected in 2002.
As governor, Vilsack worked to promote such renewable energy sources as wind, ethanol, and biodiesel, an engine fuel derived from vegetable oils. He also worked to reduce class sizes in elementary schools and to expand the number of Iowa children covered by health insurance. He was chairman of the Democratic Governor’s Association in 2004. In 2005, Vilsack became chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, an organization of moderate Democratic officeholders and other community leaders. In 2006, Vilsack became the first Democrat to formally declare his candidacy for the 2008 presidential nomination. However, he dropped out of the race in 2007 due to fund-raising difficulties.
