{{Short description|American politician (1927–2020)}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Rominger Official USDA_Portrait.jpg | office = 8th United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture | president = Bill Clinton | term_start = May 12, 1993 | term_end = January 20, 2001 | predecessor = Ann Veneman | successor = Jim Moseley | office1 = California Secretary of Food and Agriculture | governor1 = Jerry Brown | term_start1 = 1977 | term_end1 = 1982 | predecessor1 = Luther T. Wallace | successor1 = Clare Berryhill | birth_name = Richard Rominger | birth_date = {{birth date|1927|7|1}} | birth_place = Woodland, California, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2020|12|21|1927|7|1}} | death_place = Winters, California, U.S. | party = Democratic | alma_mater = University of California, Davis (BS) }} '''Richard Rominger''' (July 1, 1927 – December 21, 2020) was an American politician who served as the eighth deputy secretary of agriculture from 1993 to 2001 during the administration of Bill Clinton. Rominger previously served as the California secretary of food and agriculture.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.uctv.tv/shows/A-Conversation-with-the-Romingers-Experiences-in-Washington-D-C-and-Yolo-County-6243|title=Video: A Conversation with the Romingers: Experiences in Washington D.C. and Yolo County|website=www.uctv.tv|language=en|access-date=2019-03-29}}</ref>
== Early life and education == Born in Woodland, California to Albert H. Rominger and Anne Violet Ehrhardt Rominger and raised in Winters, California, Rominger attended his freshman year at Sacramento Junior College then served 14 months in the United States Navy during World War II. He then attended the University of California, Davis and graduated in 1949 with degrees in agronomy and plant sciences.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/fruitedplainstor00ebel|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/fruitedplainstor00ebel/page/389 389]|title=The Fruited Plain: The Story of American Agriculture|last=Ebeling|first=Walter|date=January 1, 1979|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=9780520037519|language=en}}</ref> After graduation, Rominger returned to work on his four-generation family farm.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5k6rAgAAQBAJ&q=richard+rominger+biography&pg=PA682|title=A Communion of Subjects: Animals in Religion, Science, and Ethics|last1=Waldau|first1=Paul|last2=Patton|first2=Kimberley|date=May 22, 2009|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=9780231136433|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://romingerwestwinery.wordpress.com/2011/03/15/its-all-in-the-family-the-rominger-west-history-part-i/|title=It's All in the Family: The Rominger West History, Part I|date=March 15, 2011|language=en|access-date=March 29, 2019}}</ref>
== Career == In 1977, Governor Jerry Brown appointed Rominger to head the California Department of Food and Agriculture. He was confirmed by the California State Senate and served in the position until 1982. In 1993, Rominger was appointed by President of the United States Bill Clinton to serve as chief operating officer and Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MSPhAwAAQBAJ&q=richard+rominger+biography&pg=PA256|title=Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton, 1993|last=Clinton |first=William J.|date=1994-01-01|publisher=Best Books on|isbn=9781623767907|language=en}}</ref> He served in the position until 2001 (the entirety of Clinton's time in office), and returned to their 6,000-acre family farm in California.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.usda.gov/agencies/gallery/rominger.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000520102800/http://www.usda.gov/agencies/gallery/rominger.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2000-05-20|title=Biographical Sketch: Richard Rominger|date=2000-05-20|access-date=2019-03-29}}</ref>
During his time at the USDA, Rominger advocated for a new pesticide ban<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?151316-1/reducing-pesticide-risks|title=Reducing Pesticide Risks |website=www.c-span.org|language=en-us|access-date=2019-03-29}}</ref> as well as poultry product regulations, a new National Drought Emergency Commission, and the new National Organic Standards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?90569-1/federal-commission-droughts|title=Federal Commission on Droughts g|website=www.c-span.org|language=en-us|access-date=2019-03-29}}</ref> Rominger also had responsibility for supervision of the USDA budget.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?154596-1/agriculture-department-budget|title=Agriculture Department Budget |website=www.c-span.org|language=en-us|access-date=2019-03-29}}</ref>
Rominger was appointed to the Board of Regents of the University of California in 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/cal-aggie-alumni-association-names-new-alumni-regent|title=Cal Aggie Alumni Association Names New Alumni Regent|date=2004-03-18|website=UC Davis|language=EN|access-date=2019-03-29}}</ref> He has also served on the California Roundtable on Agriculture and the Environment and as president of the board of the American Farmland Trust. Rominger was the chairman and shareholder at Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc., Oryzatech, Inc., and Ag Innovations Network, Inc.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.marketscreener.com/business-leaders/Richard-E-Rominger-06HNSZ-E/biography/|title=Richard E. Rominger - Biography|website=www.marketscreener.com|language=en|access-date=2019-03-29}}</ref> Richard was a founding member and the first president of the Yolo County, California land trust.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dailydemocrat.com/business/20180119/yolo-county-farm-bureau-honors-rominger-family-of-winters|location=California, United States|title=Yolo County Farm Bureau honors Rominger family of Winters|date=2018-01-19|newspaper=Daily Democrat|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-29}}</ref>
After his retirement from government service, Rominger was an advocate on issues related to droughts, land conservation, and the impact of climate change on agriculture.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://civileats.com/2009/02/10/californias-drought-climate-change-and-recommendations-for-action/|title=California's Drought, Climate Change and Recommendations for Action|date=2009-02-10|website=Civil Eats|access-date=2019-03-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.uctv.tv/shows/Farming-Today-9-Billion-Mouths-to-Feed-The-Future-of-Farming-Ep-1-24294|title=Video: Farming Today - 9 Billion Mouths to Feed: The Future of Farming (Ep. 1)|website=www.uctv.tv|language=en|access-date=2019-03-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.gov/wordpress/?p=16038|title=CDFA Takes Action to the Next Level with 'Scaling-Up Climate Smart Agriculture' two-day event in Sonoma and Marin Counties|date=2018-09-10|website=CDFA's Planting Seeds Blog|access-date=2019-03-29}}</ref>
Richard E. Rominger died at the age of 93 in Winters, California.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/15054-former-usda-deputy-secretary-rominger-dies-at-93/|title=Former USDA Deputy Secretary Rominger dies at 93|date=2020-12-21|website=AgriPulse|access-date=2020-12-20}}</ref>
== Awards == In 1978, Rominger received the Jerry W. Fielder Memorial Award in recognition of his service to UCD. In 1989, he and his wife Evelyne Rowe Rominger jointly received the Award of Distinction from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aginnovations.org/post/2016-06-06/longstanding-crae-member-richard-rominger-awarded-uc-davis-s-highest-award|title=Longstanding CRAE Member, Richard Rominger, Awarded UC Davis's Highest Award|date=June 5, 2016|website=www.aginnovations.org|language=en|access-date=March 29, 2019}}</ref> Rominger received the Distinguished Service Award from the California Farm Bureau Federation in 1991 and was named Agriculturalist of Year and the 1992 California State Fair. In 2016, Rominger was selected to receive the UC Davis Medal, the highest honor the university presents to an individual.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.davisenterprise.com/local-news/ucd/richard-and-evelyne-rominger-to-receive-the-uc-davis-medal/|title=Richard and Evelyne Rowe Rominger to receive the UC Davis Medal|date=May 24, 2016|website=Davis Enterprise|access-date=March 29, 2019}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}} <references group=""></references>
== External links == * {{C-SPAN|31696}}
{{Start box}} {{S-off}} {{U.S. Cabinet official box|before=Ann Veneman|after=Jim Moseley|years=May 12, 1993 – January 20, 2001|president=Bill Clinton|department=Deputy Secretary of Agriculture}} {{End box}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rominger, Richard}} Category:Clinton administration personnel Category:20th-century American politicians Category:People from Woodland, California Category:Military personnel from California Category:20th-century American businesspeople Category:1927 births Category:2020 deaths Category:Secretaries of agriculture of the United States Category:University of California, Davis alumni Category:United States deputy secretaries of agriculture Category:American agronomists