Bio: John Austin Baker (1914-1982) was an economist at the Department of Agriculture from 1937 to 1951, and an assistant to the Secretary of Agriculture from 1948 to 1951. He was the director of legislative services for the National Farmers Union from 1951 to 1961, and director of agricultural credit at the Department of Agriculture from 1961 to 1962. Baker served as Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development and Conservation from 1962 to 1969.
LBJ Connection: Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, 1948-1951; adviser, War on Poverty Task Force; member, Board of Commodity Credit Corporation, 1962-1969