The National Agricultural Hall of Fame has announced three new members: Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, pork industry innovator Wendell Murphy and antique tractor preservationist Michael Hinton will be inducted on Oct. 23 at the National Agricultural Center in Bonner Springs, Kan.
The agricultural Hall of Fame was chartered by Congress in 1960 to honor individuals who have made outstanding national or international contributions to the establishment, development, advancement or improvement of American agriculture. Perdue, Murphy and Hinton join a roster of notables, including Eli Whitney, John Deere, George Washington Carver and Sen. Pat Roberts.
Sonny Perdue
Perdue has been a lifelong advocate for U.S. farmers, ranchers and rural communities, according to the National Agricultural Hall of Fame. In 2017 he assumed the position of U.S. secretary of agriculture and worked to make American agriculture an international powerhouse.
Perdue created the first-ever undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs position to ensure American farmers would always have someone looking to establish and expand new markets abroad, bringing stabilization of prices to farmers. He dealt with the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis and swiftly acted to expand the Food and Nutrition Service to meet the exponential growth of food insecurity and need. He also worked to expand rural broadband initiatives confronting a national disparity and increasing number of rural farmers to access modern agricultural tools and markets.
In 2022 Perdue became chancellor of the University System of Georgia, overseeing 27 public colleges, trade schools and universities of the state of Georgia. These colleges oversee avenues of agricultural development, from research initiatives to statewide extension services and youth agricultural education. He launched the UGA Grand Farm, a 250-acre research facility to advance technology and prepare the next generation of ag leaders.
Wendell Murphy
Murphy is known for his contributions to agriculture in North Carolina and across the U.S. in the swine industry and integrated production systems, according to the Agricultural Hall of Fame. His approach to swine production became the standard for the pork industry, transforming protein production across the U.S. and around the world.
Murphy Farms was established in 1962 and became one of the most well-known and successful sow operations in the nation. As his business progressed, contract feeding became standard practice. He embraced confinement technology when it was introduced and thereby pioneered the contract feeding of feeder pigs and genetics technology that produced leaner and healthier animals.
Innovations under Murphy’s leadership include contract production, in-house commodity specialists, staff nutritionists, turnkey construction on custom confinement buildings, a transportation department and fleet of company trucks for transporting feed and livestock.
Michael Hinton
Hinton is dedicated to preserving the legacy of American agriculture through vintage tractors, which serve as a memorial to forefathers who worked the soil, provided for their families and fed the world, according to the Agricultural Hall of Fame.
Through initiatives such as the launch of www.TalkingTractors.com in 2024, Hinton has created a platform where the stories of rural life and agricultural ingenuity come alive. He founded Antique Tractor Preservation Day with the objective to educate and create a tradition for recognizing our nation’s deeply rooted and proud agricultural heritage. Antique Tractor Preservation Day has been featured in national television interviews, podcasts and industry publications.
Hinton’s work to generate global awareness has resulted in being awarded multiple state governor proclamations in 2025, 2024, 2012, 2011 and 2010 for Antique Tractor Preservation Day, plus two United States Congressional Record statements and four USPS pictorial postmarks. His leadership goes beyond preserving machines; it’s about storytelling, stewardship and strengthening the bond between generations. He works to honor those who labored in the fields, advanced American farming and embodied the values of hard work, innovation and community.
