Earl Butz transformed American agriculture, then lost his career to a single vulgar remark.

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: As Secretary of Agriculture, Earl Butz dismantled New Deal farm programs to usher in an era of industrial, large-scale corporate farming. His mantra, get big or get out, redefined the American landscape. Yet, his legacy is equally defined by a career-ending racist outburst that shocked the nation in 1976.

Born in 1909 on an Indiana dairy farm, Earl Butz rose through academia at Purdue University before joining the federal government. Appointed Secretary of Agriculture in 1971 by Richard Nixon, he served through 1976 under both Nixon and Gerald Ford. Butz viewed the market system as the ultimate tool for efficiency, arguing that his policies—which encouraged farmers to plant commodity crops like corn from fencerow to fencerow—dramatically lowered food costs for all Americans. He abolished programs that paid farmers to leave land unplanted, believing that large-scale commercial operations were the key to national strength.

The shift toward industrial agriculture, however, coincided with the decline of the small family farm. While Butz defended this transformation as a necessary evolution, critics like Wendell Berry challenged his vision of agriculture. Butz’s tenure was marked by political maneuvering, including the 1972 arrangement of a massive 30-million-ton grain sale to the Soviet Union to stabilize crop prices and bolster Republican support among farmers. Despite his influence, his public life was frequently punctuated by controversy, including a 1974 incident where he mocked the Pope’s stance on population control.

His downfall came in October 1976, when a racist remark made on a commercial flight was reported by Time magazine. The comment, which was obscene and insulting to Black Americans, forced his resignation on October 4, 1976. The incident became a cultural flashpoint, with many newspapers initially refusing to print the full quote, while others saw thousands of readers request the transcript. Following his departure from the Cabinet, Butz faced further legal trouble, pleading guilty to tax evasion in 1981. He remained active in agricultural policy and corporate boards until his death in 2008 at age 98, leaving behind a complex legacy that remains central to debates over the American food system.

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