Charles B. Shuman, 92, an outspoken former president of the American Farm Bureau and a longtime Illinois farmer, died Sunday in his home in Downstate Sullivan.
A native of Illinois who grew up on the family farm in Sullivan, Mr. Shuman served nine years as president of the Illinois Farm Bureau before his election to the presidency of the American Farm Bureau Federation in 1954. He led the federation until 1970.
Mr. Shuman was a longtime critic of government farm programs that sought to control crop production and set prices. He argued that government farm programs cost taxpayers billions but helped the farm economy little. Colleagues said the arguments were persuasive and helped shape reform proposals at the time.
"When he was president of the American Farm Bureau, he turned it into a really effective lobby organization," said former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz.
Mr. Shuman was one of the first leaders to discuss farm programs in terms of morality as well as economics, according to Tribune news accounts at the time. In a speech before farm bureau members in Chicago in 1961, he said government subsidies were morally and economically wrong because they oppose "the pattern of God's plan, which is to cause mankind to discharge ever greater responsibility."
Mr. Shuman earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He taught a Sunday school class for 64 years.
He recently began writing a popular weekly column titled "Way Back When" for the Moultrie County News-Progress in Sullivan.
Mr. Shuman is survived by his wife, Mabel Ervin; three sons, Charles, John L. and Paul E.; a daughter, Janet Roney; a sister, Bernadine Curtiss; nine grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Chicago Tribune (IL) - October 27, 1999
A native of Illinois who grew up on the family farm in Sullivan, Mr. Shuman served nine years as president of the Illinois Farm Bureau before his election to the presidency of the American Farm Bureau Federation in 1954. He led the federation until 1970.
Mr. Shuman was a longtime critic of government farm programs that sought to control crop production and set prices. He argued that government farm programs cost taxpayers billions but helped the farm economy little. Colleagues said the arguments were persuasive and helped shape reform proposals at the time.
"When he was president of the American Farm Bureau, he turned it into a really effective lobby organization," said former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz.
Mr. Shuman was one of the first leaders to discuss farm programs in terms of morality as well as economics, according to Tribune news accounts at the time. In a speech before farm bureau members in Chicago in 1961, he said government subsidies were morally and economically wrong because they oppose "the pattern of God's plan, which is to cause mankind to discharge ever greater responsibility."
Mr. Shuman earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He taught a Sunday school class for 64 years.
He recently began writing a popular weekly column titled "Way Back When" for the Moultrie County News-Progress in Sullivan.
Mr. Shuman is survived by his wife, Mabel Ervin; three sons, Charles, John L. and Paul E.; a daughter, Janet Roney; a sister, Bernadine Curtiss; nine grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Chicago Tribune (IL) - October 27, 1999
Charles B. Shuman, 92, an outspoken former president of the American Farm Bureau and a longtime Illinois farmer, died Sunday in his home in Downstate Sullivan.
A native of Illinois who grew up on the family farm in Sullivan, Mr. Shuman served nine years as president of the Illinois Farm Bureau before his election to the presidency of the American Farm Bureau Federation in 1954. He led the federation until 1970.
Mr. Shuman was a longtime critic of government farm programs that sought to control crop production and set prices. He argued that government farm programs cost taxpayers billions but helped the farm economy little. Colleagues said the arguments were persuasive and helped shape reform proposals at the time.
"When he was president of the American Farm Bureau, he turned it into a really effective lobby organization," said former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz.
Mr. Shuman was one of the first leaders to discuss farm programs in terms of morality as well as economics, according to Tribune news accounts at the time. In a speech before farm bureau members in Chicago in 1961, he said government subsidies were morally and economically wrong because they oppose "the pattern of God's plan, which is to cause mankind to discharge ever greater responsibility."
Mr. Shuman earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He taught a Sunday school class for 64 years.
He recently began writing a popular weekly column titled "Way Back When" for the Moultrie County News-Progress in Sullivan.
Mr. Shuman is survived by his wife, Mabel Ervin; three sons, Charles, John L. and Paul E.; a daughter, Janet Roney; a sister, Bernadine Curtiss; nine grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Chicago Tribune (IL) - October 27, 1999
A native of Illinois who grew up on the family farm in Sullivan, Mr. Shuman served nine years as president of the Illinois Farm Bureau before his election to the presidency of the American Farm Bureau Federation in 1954. He led the federation until 1970.
Mr. Shuman was a longtime critic of government farm programs that sought to control crop production and set prices. He argued that government farm programs cost taxpayers billions but helped the farm economy little. Colleagues said the arguments were persuasive and helped shape reform proposals at the time.
"When he was president of the American Farm Bureau, he turned it into a really effective lobby organization," said former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz.
Mr. Shuman was one of the first leaders to discuss farm programs in terms of morality as well as economics, according to Tribune news accounts at the time. In a speech before farm bureau members in Chicago in 1961, he said government subsidies were morally and economically wrong because they oppose "the pattern of God's plan, which is to cause mankind to discharge ever greater responsibility."
Mr. Shuman earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He taught a Sunday school class for 64 years.
He recently began writing a popular weekly column titled "Way Back When" for the Moultrie County News-Progress in Sullivan.
Mr. Shuman is survived by his wife, Mabel Ervin; three sons, Charles, John L. and Paul E.; a daughter, Janet Roney; a sister, Bernadine Curtiss; nine grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Chicago Tribune (IL) - October 27, 1999
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