https://mallhistory.org/files/original/0e630bb0e099bd2f75128b4213014388.jpg 23254476d37e02c1c3db532814015884 People An individual, biographical data, birth and death, etc. Birth Date 03/31/1800 Birthplace New Jersey Death Date 06/19/1867 Occupation Scientist Biographical Text Isaac Newton was a successful farmer in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. From his dairy farms, he sold ice cream to Philadelphia and butter to Washington, DC. As a member of the US Agricultural Society, he lobbied vigorously for the establishment of a federal department. <br /><br />In 1862, President Lincoln created the US Department of Agriculture and appointed Newton to be the first commissioner. Newton wanted the Department to be a scientific institution, serving the needs of American agriculture by educating farmers and conducting research. Under his leadership, the Department hired a number of accomplished scientists. <br /><br />In addition to directing projects like the <a href="http://mallhistory.org/items/show/372">fields on the Mall </a>and the creation of a library, Newton took an active hand. He is said to have worked in the fields one summer to help protect the crops from a sudden thunderstorm. Sadly, Newton died before the <a href="http://mallhistory.org/items/show/444">first building</a> for the Department of Agriculture was completed, but his vision for the Department lived on. First Name for nav purposes Isaac Last Name for nav purposes Newton Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Isaac Newton Description An account of the resource Pennsylvania farmer and dairyman, Isaac Newton served as the <a href="http://mallhistory.org/items/show/289">first United States Commissioner of Agriculture</a>. Under Newton, the agency focused on research and education, disseminating information to farmers throughout the nation. Newton advocated for daily weather reports being telegraphed nationwide, created an <a href="http://mallhistory.org/items/show/372">experimental farm</a> on the National Mall, and contributed to the <a href="http://mallhistory.org/items/show/29">National Botanical Garden's </a>specimen collections. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1860-1889 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived National Archives at College Park. <a href="http://research.archives.gov/description/529257">View original image</a>. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Isaac Newton environment work & play