80 THE PORTRAIT GALLERY 



A SPONSOR FOR AGRICULTURAL INVESTIGATION 



25. Legislation for the founding of the agricultural college 

 and experiment station system in America may be credited to 

 three men, Senator Morrill (28), Congressman Hatch (27), 

 and Congressman Adams. Frailest physically, but most zealous 

 intellectually, was the last named of the three, a man who burned 

 the candle of life freely when he fought for his beloved agricul- 

 tural interests. He claimed no laurels as an originator of rural 

 legislation, but he found universal recognition in his framing 

 of the meat inspection and pure food bills, his championship of 

 the oleomargarine legislation and his supplementing of the 

 appropriation for the agricultural experiment stations. 



Hon. Henry Cullen Adams was born September 28, 1850, at 

 Verona, N. Y. His father was a professor of Greek and Latin 

 at Hamilton College, but while he was still in his mother's arms 

 the family proceeded to Wisconsin. His early years were spent 

 at Beaver Dam and Liberty Prairie, and he ultimately moved to 

 a farm in the vicinity of Madison. His education was obtained 

 in the rural and city schools and in the Albion Academy, while 

 he spent three years at the University of Wisconsin. His career 

 here was terminated due to ill health, and after an unsuccessful 

 attempt to study law, he engaged in dairy and fruit farming. 

 This was his chief occupation until the last five years of his life, 

 when he devoted much of his time to real estate. As a farmer 

 he entered into a variety of activities tending toward rural bet- 

 terment. He was an institute worker in connection with the state 

 university, secretary of the Wisconsin State Horticultural Society, 

 member of the State Board of Agriculture, and President of the 

 State Dairymen's Association. 



In politics he was equally prominent. For two terms he was 

 a member of the state legislature, Superintendent of Public 

 Property for six years, and Dairy and Food Commissioner for 

 eight years. He was elected representative from the 2d Wiscon- 



