James Wilson (Politiker, 1835)
James Wilson was a Scots born United States politician, serving as US Secretary of Agriculture from 1897-1913. He was born in Ayrshire on August 16, 1835. One of 14 children, he grew up in a farming community, not far from the birthplace of Robert Burns.
His family emigrated to America in 1852, settling in Conneticut before going on to Iowa in 1855. Wilson was elected to the Iowa State House in 1867, and served as speaker from 1870 to 1871 before becoming professor of agriculture at what is now Iowa State University.
He rose to national prominence when President William McKinley made him Secretary for Agriculture. He became known as Tama Jim to distinguish him from the Iowa member of senate, James Wilson. Presidents Roosevelt and Taft retained him as secretary, and it was only when in 1912, a Democrat was elected president (Woodrow Wilson) that he ceased to be in that office, at the age of 78.
His tenure as secretary of agriculture is known as a period of modernisation of agricultural methods. He also organised greater food inspection methods, as well as great improvement of many roads across the country.