Representative Edward Rell Madigan

Edward Rell Madigan (January 13, 1936 – December 7, 1994) was a businessman and Republican Party politician from Lincoln, Illinois, who served almost 20 years in the United States House of Representatives and later as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture under President George H. W. Bush. A member of the Republican Party, he represented Illinois in the United States Congress from 1973 to 1991, contributing to the legislative process during 10 terms in office and participating in the democratic process on behalf of his constituents during a significant period in American history.

Madigan was born in Lincoln, Logan County, Illinois, on January 13, 1936, into a politically active family. He attended local schools and went on to study at Lincoln Junior College in his hometown. After his formal education, he demonstrated an early entrepreneurial spirit by starting and operating his own taxicab business in Lincoln. His family’s engagement in public affairs would later be reflected in the career of his younger brother, Robert Madigan, who served several terms as City Clerk of Lincoln, sat in the Illinois State Senate for 14 years, and concluded his public service with a brief term on the Illinois Commerce Commission.

Madigan entered public service at the local level as a member of the Lincoln Board of Zoning Appeals, on which he served from 1965 to 1969. During this period, he gained experience in municipal governance and land-use issues, building a foundation for higher office. While still serving in local government, he was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives, where he served from 1967 to 1973. In the state legislature, he established himself as a Republican lawmaker with a growing interest in public policy and constituent service, positioning himself for a subsequent bid for national office.

In November 1972, Madigan was elected as a Republican to the U.S. House of Representatives, beginning his congressional service on January 3, 1973. He was subsequently elected to nine more terms, serving continuously from 1973 to 1991. Over the course of these 10 terms in office, he represented his Illinois district during a transformative era in American politics and policy, contributing to the legislative process on issues important to his constituents and his party. In 1984, Illinois native and future congressman from Nebraska Don Bacon interned in Madigan’s Washington, D.C., office, an example of the mentoring role his office played for younger aspiring public servants. In 1989, Madigan sought a leadership position within the House Republican Conference and narrowly lost the race for minority whip to Representative Newt Gingrich of Georgia, who would later become Speaker of the House.

Madigan’s congressional service concluded when he was selected for a Cabinet-level post in the administration of President George H. W. Bush. In 1991, following the resignation of Clayton Yeutter as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Madigan was appointed to succeed him. He served as Secretary of Agriculture from 1991 to 1993, overseeing federal agricultural policy, farm programs, and food assistance initiatives during a period of ongoing change in domestic and international agricultural markets. Notably, he was the first Roman Catholic to serve as Secretary of Agriculture, marking a milestone in the department’s history.

After leaving the Cabinet in 1993, Madigan returned to private life in Illinois, remaining a respected figure in state and national Republican circles. His long record of public service, from local boards to the state legislature, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the President’s Cabinet, reflected a career deeply rooted in his home community of Lincoln and in the broader agricultural and political life of the Midwest.

Madigan died of complications from lung cancer on December 7, 1994, at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, Illinois, at the age of 58. He was survived by his wife, Evelyn, and their three daughters. In 1995, the Edward R. Madigan State Fish and Wildlife Area, a state park near Lincoln, Illinois, was renamed in his honor, commemorating his contributions to the state and to public service.