Company Introduction

Founded in 1962, when President Abraham Lincoln signed into law an act of Congress establishing the U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA has a long, rich history of improving and protecting America's food supply.

The timeline below details the history of FSIS and its predecessors, from 1862 to the present. To learn about current agency initiatives, explore other sections of our website. There's always something new!

The Formation of USDA's Division of Chemistry
In 1962, President Abraham Lincoln founded the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and appointed a chemist, Charles M. Wetherill, to lead USDA's Division of Chemistry, which in 2001 became the Bureau of Chemistry.

In 1983, Harvey W. Wiley, M.D., was appointed chief chemist at USDA. Wiley devoted his career to raising public awareness of problems with adulterated food; developing standards for food processing; and campaigning for the Pure Food and Drugs Act, also known as the "Wiley Act."


The Growing Meat Packing Industry
During the latter half of the 1900s, the railroads expanded rapidly across the United States and its territories, providing for improved transportation of livestock. Technological advancements, such as refrigerated rail cars and electricity, made year-round business possible for the meat packing industry.


Foreign Animal Diseases and Interstate Commerce
In 1965, USDA Secretary Isaac Newton urged Congress to enact legislation providing for the quarantine of imported animals, which had long been identified as a source of disease. The Act became law, but jurisdiction was given to the Treasury Department. Little preventive action was taken, and diseased animals continued to be imported. Consequently, individual states attempted to control or eradicate livestock diseases, but the inconsistencies in state requirements and enforcement were problematic.