Records of the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture

Records Available at the National Archives at Fort Worth

Records of the Land Use Coordinator

In July 1937 a Coordinator of Land Use Planning was appointed to coordinate and stimulate land use planning within the department, including cooperation with operational agencies. In 1938 the Office of Land Use Coordination was established in the Office of the Secretary where it remained until January 1, 1944. When the Office of Land Use Coordination was abolished, the land use coordinator was transferred to the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture.

Records of the General Counsel

In 1905, by order of the Secretary of Agriculture, a solicitor was appointed with responsibility for the department's legal work.  An appropriation act in 1920 (36 Stat. 416) directed all agricultural legal work to be directed to the Office of the Solicitor.  One of the office's functions was to examine evidence to determine possible violations of laws or rulings of interest to the Department of Agriculture. In 1955 the Solicitor was renamed the General Counsel and the office was re-designated the Office of the General Counsel.