Orville Lothrop Freeman (May 9, 1918 – February 20, 2003) was an American politician who served as the 29th governor of Minnesota from 1955 to 1961, and as the U.S. secretary of agriculture from 1961 to 1969 under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.

[2] In 1940, Freeman graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Minnesota, where he was a reserve quarterback on the football team and where he met his lifelong friend and political ally Hubert Humphrey.

Figuring that the United States would eventually become involved in World War II, Freeman signed up for the Marine Reserve in 1940 with the understanding he could finish law school before he fulfilled his required service.

The attack on Pearl Harbor ended that arrangement, and on December 31, 1941, he received orders to report to Officer Candidate School at Marine Corps Base Quantico.

[4] After graduating and following training to be an infantry officer, Freeman reported to Camp Elliot, just outside San Diego, California.

[5] Freeman also served as secretary (1946-1948) and chairman (1948-1950) of the newly formed Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party,[6] was a political aide to his college friend Humphrey, who was mayor of Minneapolis at the time, and managed Humphrey's successful 1948 campaign for the U.S. Senate.

Freeman is remembered for submitting proposed legislation to establish the Food Stamp Program for the poor, which is still in use today.