Floor SpeechCeremonial2026-04-28

REMEMBERING HENRY A. WALLACE

TaxesAgriculture

Context

On 2026-04-28, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) delivered a floor speech titled "REMEMBERING HENRY A. WALLACE" in the Senate. The speech addressed taxes and also covered agriculture. It referenced legislation including S2059, S2060.

Full Text

REMEMBERING HENRY A. WALLACE

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 74 (Tuesday, April 28, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 28, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S2059-S2060] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] REMEMBERING HENRY A. WALLACE Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, 2026 is an opportunity to talk about the centennial progress in American agriculture and a famous Iowa family that was involved in that. Before I give my remarks on that centennial, I would like to give a little history of the Wallace family of Iowa--three generations. Grandfather Henry Wallace, I don't have a lot of history on, but Henry C. Wallace, his son, was President Harding's Secretary of Agriculture, from 1921 until Henry's death in 1924. And then Henry C. Wallace had a son, Henry A. Wallace, who was Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of Commerce from 1933 to 1941, under Franklin Roosevelt's first two terms. Unlike his father, who was presumably a Republican under President Harding, Henry A. Wallace was obviously a Democrat to serve in Franklin Roosevelt's Cabinet, and then he went on to be a Vice President during Franklin Roosevelt's third term. In 1948, this same Henry A. Wallace was the Progressive Party's candidate for President of the United States, a time when Harry Truman was reelected President of the generation. So that is kind of the politics of the people I am talking about, but I am talking about their role in American agriculture and what it has meant for the production of corn today in the United States. So we celebrate the work of an Iowan who pioneered new frontiers in American agriculture. That pioneer was Henry A. Wallace. Like many farm kids, Henry grew up with soil, the very soul of Iowa running through his veins. Henry's dad and grandfather--both named, as I said, Henry--cofounded a publication called ``Wallaces Farmer,'' a trusted farm journal for farmers across the Midwest. Exactly 100 years ago, on April 20, 1926, Henry's hybrid seed corn business was incorporated. At that time, Iowan corn farmers planted seeds that they saved from the previous year, called open-pollinated corn. Yields were about 20 bushels per acre, from one year to the next, year after year. In fact, history tells us that the production of corn in the United States is about 25 bushel per acre, from the Civil War until the 1930s. That is when Wallace researched and made great progress in increasing yields. So Henry A. Wallace, the famous Secretary of Agriculture and Vice President of the United States, revolutionized corn yields by crossing open-pollinated corn varieties. Together with an Iowa State University professor, he developed the Iowa Corn Yield Test. In 1924, Henry A. Wallace won the contest with a hybrid called Copper Cross. Like many American innovators, Henry had an idea and put that idea to work to accomplish his goals. His efforts would transform production agriculture, but, first, Henry needed markets for his new research and his product that resulted from that research. So using famous Iowa ingenuity, he cultivated trust with his customers. Those customers, of course, were the family farmers of that day. He adopted a farmer-to-farmer sales model. In 1935, Henry renamed Hi-Bred Corn Company to the name of Pioneer, and Pioneer is still a famous name for farmers in Iowa. And that company was the Pioneer Seed Corn Company until recently. A company named Corteva took it over. So, Iowa, of course, is known as the ``Tall Corn State,'' thanks in large part to the adoption of hybrid corn. Henry A. Wallace helped corn farmers go from 20 bushels of corn per acre to now the average being over 200 bushels of corn per acre. And we have some people, in contests over the United States, that on 5-acre plots they do a lot of extra things to [[Page S2060]] accomplish it and have even produced corn yielding 350 bushels of corn per acre. And I don't know if that is going to be something that is going to be common, 20 years from now or maybe even 10 years from now, but we sure have made great progress. When I started farming, in 1960, when my dad died, I was probably producing about 50 bushels of corn per acre. More recently, we have reached the 200-bushel level. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll. Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

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REMEMBERING HENRY A. WALLACE Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 74 (Tuesday, April 28, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 28, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S2059-S2060] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] REMEMBERING HENRY A. WALLACE Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, 2026 is an opportunity to talk about the centennial progress in American agriculture and a famous Iowa family that was involved in that. Before I give my remarks on that centennial, I would like to give a little history of the Wallace family of Iowa--three generations. Grandfather Henry Wallace, I don't have a lot of history on, but Henry C. Wallace, his son, was President Harding's Secretary of Agriculture, from 1921 until Henry's death in 1924. And then Henry C. Wallace had a son, Henry A. Wallace, who was Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of Commerce from 1933 to 1941, under Franklin Roosevelt's first two terms. Unlike his father, who was presumably a Republican under President Harding, Henry A. Wallace was obviously a Democrat to serve in Franklin Roosevelt's Cabinet, and then he went on to be a Vice President during Franklin Roosevelt's third term. In 1948, this same Henry A. Wallace was the Progressive Party's candidate for President of the United States, a time when Harry Truman was reelected President of the generation. So that is kind of the politics of the people I am talking about, but I am talking about their role in American agriculture and what it has meant for the production of corn today in the United States. So we celebrate the work of an Iowan who pioneered new frontiers in American agriculture. That pioneer was Henry A. Wallace. Like many farm kids, Henry grew up with soil, the very soul of Iowa running through his veins. Henry's dad and grandfather--both named, as I said, Henry--cofounded a publication called ``Wallaces Farmer,'' a trusted farm journal for farmers across the Midwest. Exactly 100 years ago, on April 20, 1926, Henry's hybrid seed corn business was incorporated. At that time, Iowan corn farmers planted seeds that they saved from the previous year, called open-pollinated corn. Yields were about 20 bushels per acre, from one year to the next, year after year. In fact, history tells us that the production of corn in the United States is about 25 bushel per acre, from the Civil War until the 1930s. That is when Wallace researched and made great progress in increasing yields. So Henry A. Wallace, the famous Secretary of Agriculture and Vice President of the United States, revolutionized corn yields by crossing open-pollinated corn varieties. Together with an Iowa State University professor, he developed the Iowa Corn Yield Test. In 1924, Henry A. Wallace won the contest with a hybrid called Copper Cross. Like many American innovators, Henry had an idea and put that idea to work to accomplish his goals. His efforts would transform production agriculture, but, first, Henry needed markets for his new research and his product that resulted from that research. So using famous Iowa ingenuity, he cultivated trust with his customers. Those customers, of course, were the family farmers of that day. He adopted a farmer-to-farmer sales model. In 1935, Henry renamed Hi-Bred Corn Company to the name of Pioneer, and Pioneer is still a famous name for farmers in Iowa. And that company was the Pioneer Seed Corn Company until recently. A company named Corteva took it over. So, Iowa, of course, is known as the ``Tall Corn State,'' thanks in large part to the adoption of hybrid corn. Henry A. Wallace helped corn farmers go from 20 bushels of corn per acre to now the average being over 200 bushels of corn per acre. And we have some people, in contests over the United States, that on 5-acre plots they do a lot of extra things to [[Page S2060]] accomplish it and have even produced corn yielding 350 bushels of corn per acre. And I don't know if that is going to be something that is going to be common, 20 years from now or maybe even 10 years from now, but we sure have made great progress. When I started farming, in 1960, when my dad died, I was probably producing about 50 bushels of corn per acre. More recently, we have reached the 200-bushel level. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll. Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________