ATLANTA, GA – Today, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper, in coordination with the National Agricultural Hall of Fame, is pleased to announce that Former Georgia Governor and United States Department of Agriculture Secretary and current University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue was inducted into the National Agriculture Hall of Fame in Kansas City, KS, on October 23, 2025, for his significant contributions to American agriculture. Chancellor Perdue was nominated by Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper with support from Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and American Farm Bureau President and Georgia native Zippy Duval. Perdue will be just the third Georgian to be inducted and will join prominent figures in American agricultural history, including Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson, as well as George Washington Carver, Eli Whitney, and John Deere.
“I’m deeply honored to join just two other Georgians in the National Agriculture Hall of Fame,” said University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue. "My thanks to Governor Kemp for his support, Commissioner Harper for the nomination, and my friends, Tom McCall and Zippy Duvall, for their steadfast partnership. Agriculture is more than food and resources—it’s the foundation of thriving communities. From my childhood growing up on a diversified row crop farm in Middle Georgia, to serving in the Georgia General Assembly, as Georgia’s 81st Governor, the 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, and now Chancellor of the University System of Georgia, I’ve always championed the growers and protectors of our food and our natural resources. This recognition belongs to them. I’m proud to have stood shoulder to shoulder with these patriotic, God fearing, USA-loving patriots in the mission to do right and feed everyone.”
“Chancellor Perdue has been a lifelong champion for Agriculture, and his countless contributions as Governor of Georgia, United States Department of Agriculture Secretary, and now, University System of Georgia Chancellor will continue to positively impact farmers in Georgia and across the country for years to come,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper. “I am incredibly proud to call Chancellor Perdue a close friend and mentor and to see his decades of dedicated service recognized with this well-deserved award.”
“On behalf of the State of Georgia, I am proud to congratulate Sonny Perdue on his well-deserved induction into the National Agricultural Hall of Fame,” said Georgia Governor Brian Kemp. “From his time serving as Georgia's 81st Governor, as the 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, and now as Chancellor of the University System of Georgia, Sonny has dedicated his life to supporting farmers and investing in rural communities both in his home state and across the country. His contributions in this field have made our country stronger and will now be cemented in history forever.”
“The American Farm Bureau Federation congratulates Sonny Perdue on his induction into the National Agricultural Hall of Fame,” said American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall. “His lifelong dedication to farmers has helped maintain our nation’s food security and advanced American agriculture. I’m proud to call him a colleague and a friend. No one is more deserving of this honor.”
“I have had the pleasure of knowing Sonny from our early days in the Georgia General Assembly, where he and his wife, Mary, began a career of public service extending far beyond their hometown of Bonaire,” said Georgia Farm Bureau President Tom McCall. “His support of all Georgians launched him into a successful two-term stint as Governor, where he led farmers through some difficult times of drought, water policy issues, economic challenges, and education reform. As Georgia’s only U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny brought his strong business acumen to USDA, streamlining programs and services to better serve constituents. Now as Chancellor of Georgia’s University System, we are proud to have Sonny back home leading our next generation and cultivating a foundation for the success of farmers and rural communities. Congratulations, Sonny, on this tremendous achievement and well-deserved recognition for a lifetime of service and leadership.”
About the National Agricultural Center & Hall of Fame:
The National Agriculture Center & Hall of Fame was federally chartered by an Act of the 86th Congress and signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on August 30, 1960. Congress charged the Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame to serve as the national museum of agriculture and a memorial to farming leaders. It honors individuals who have made outstanding national or international contributions to the establishment, development, advancement, or improvement of agriculture. Every inductee has contributed to the success of American agriculture in some significant way, exemplifying the initiative and creativity that have made the United States the world’s leading agricultural producer. Only state-level Agriculture Commissioners and Secretaries, as well as members of the U.S. House & Senate Agriculture Committees, can nominate an individual to the National Agricultural Hall of Fame.