Washington D.C. and the Dust Bowl, 1937

A new Dust Bowl program for the Southwest was created in Washington, D.C. on June 2, 1937. This photo shows Secretary of Agriculture Henry Wallace appointing Roy I. Kimmel, of Amarillo, Texas to coordinate a broad federal program to rehabilitate the soil, conserve the soil, resettle farmers, and create a AAA wind erosion program in 100 counties (comprising 140,000 sq miles) in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico. Roy Kimbel had been in charge of the RA Rehabilitation Program (the Resettlement Administration created in 1935) in the southwest and his original appointment was effective for an indefinite term. Shown left to right in the picture are; Wallace, Kimmel, and Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Milburn Lincoln "M.L." Wilson.
People in photo include: Roy I. Kimmel