Espy vows to become best ever agriculture secretary - Alphonso Michael Espy

Thirty-nine-year-old Rep. Alphonso Michael (Mike) Espy, of Madison, Miss., brought hope to a crowded agriculture committee confirmation hearing in Washington as he prepared to take over one of the most revolutionary assignments in politics.

Becoming the first Black and Southern agriculture secretary, Rep. Espy, who listed his marital status as single (after a recent divorce) pledged "to honor my father's memory" and "become the best secretary of agriculture this nation has ever had".

His father, Henry, a federal crop agent, tried to help Black farmers who were victims of Jim Crow laws.

A protege of powerful White House agriculture committee chairman Jaime Whitten of Mississippi, Rep. Espy became the first lack to serve on the committee. Former Rep. Shirley Chisholm once turned down a committee seat because "only a tree grows in Brooklyn."

Rep. Espy spent most of his energies building contacts in the agricultural field. He was "new blood" to a one-time bigoted Dixie element that included the Bilbos, and Talmadges, but who ran the agriculture committee.

He was one of the first Blacks to endorse Arkansas Governor Clinton, serving with him on a committee to improve resources of the Mississippi basin.

Promising to dedicate himself to the economic health of rural America, the vigorous Democrat testified, "My area still has more than its share of poverty and dying small towns." "I am excited about heading an agency that does so much good for our country he told the committee. "Each weekday, 24 million children have a healthy lunch, many also have a healthy breakfast, infants receive formula, and millions more benefit from the receipt of food stamps."

Crediting the department with contributing $900 billion annually to the economy, Rep. Espy promised to streamline the agency, the nation's fourth largest, with over 14,000 offices in the U.S. and around the world. There are 112,000 employees and a $62 billion portfolio of programs, with more in loan assets than any American bank.