Anderson, Clinton Presba

Anderson, Clinton Presba, 1895–1975, U.S. government official and senator, b. Centerville, S.Dak. He had a newspaper and insurance background before he served New Mexico as treasurer (1933–34) and as administrator of relief (1935) and compensation (1936–39). As a congressman (1941–45) from New Mexico, he was put in charge of the House investigation covering scarcities and agency administration of food products. Anderson was chosen by President Truman to be secretary of agriculture (1945–48), and formulated a long-range farm program with flexible price supports. He resigned to run for the Senate, where he served from 1949 to 1973. There he led the fight against the confirmation of Lewis Strauss as secretary of commerce, and was a strong supporter of the space program.

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