Nomination of Richard E. Lyng To Be Secretary of Agriculture

The President today announced his intention to nominate Richard E. Lyng as Secretary of the Department of Agriculture.

Since January 1985 Mr. Lyng has been a consultant with the firm of Lyng and Lesher, Inc., in Washington, DC; and he served as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture in 1981-1985. Previously, he was a private consultant on food and agriculture matters (1979-1981); president of the American Meat Institute (1973-1979); and an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, responsible for marketing and consumer activities (1969-1973). Mr. Lyng served as director of the California State Department of Agriculture in 1967-1969. He also held directorships with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (1975-1979), the Agribusiness Advisory Board (1974-1981), the Commodity Credit Corporation (1969-1973), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Graduate School (1970-1973).

Mr. Lyng graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1940. He was born on June 29, 1918, in San Francisco, CA, is married, and has two children.