The President today announced his intention to nominate John J. Franke, Jr., to be an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture (Administration). This is a new position.
Mr. Franke is currently serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He was Regional Administrator (Region VII) for the Environmental Protection Agency in 1981-1982; commissioner for Johnson County, Kans., in 1973-1981; mayor for the city of Merriam, Kans., in 1971-1972; and councilman for the city of Merriam in 1965-1970.
He attended the University of Kansas. He served in the United States Marine Corps in 1948-1952. He is married, has three children, and resides in Merriam, Kans. He was born June 28, 1930, in Tonkawa, Okla.
Ronald Reagan, Nomination of John J. Franke, Jr., To Be an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/262376