Letter Accepting Resignation of Ezra Taft Benson as Secretary of Agriculture.

[ Released January 5, 1961. Dated January 4, 1961 ]

Dear Ezra:

As Secretary of Agriculture for the past eight years, you have been of immeasurable aid to me, and in accepting your resignation, effective January 20, 1961, I wish to thank you for the many contributions you have made to the Nation, and especially to its rural population.

Among the vital programs that you have worked for so effectively, these immediately come to mind: The Rural Development Program, which has been the first concerted effort to provide low-income farming areas with technical assistance; the Food for Peace Program, which has helped raise the value of farm exports over the past seven years to $26.5 billion, a record for any seven year period; many of the sound flexible price support programs now working toward better balanced production and consumption; and the greatly intensified research programs that are responsible for expanding markets and finding new uses for our farm products.

Although Agriculture still faces many problems, through your determined and dedicated work, and the efforts of your fine staff, the way has been pointed toward solution of our farm problems.

I again thank you and wish you a future life of good health and happiness as you leave government service.

With warm regard,

As ever,

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER