Joseph Buckner Killebrew (1831-1906) was a huge driving force that shaped the agricultural landscape we know today. He wrote papers on the industrial uses of many crops, served as the first Commissioner of Agriculture in Tennessee, and advocated for improvement and extension of public education. 

In 1857, after graduating from college in North Carolina, Killebrew returned to Tennessee and entered the bar. Killebrew, skilled in speechmaking, frequently traveled to courthouses to educate farmers on the benefits of his programs.

Killebrew also advocated for what he called the
“New South principles: improvement and extension of the system of public education, encouragement of immigration to the South, development of natural resources for industrialization, and improvement of agriculture.” – Connie L. Lester

Killebrew passed in March of 1906 on his family farm in Tennessee. He was preceded in death, by mere weeks, by his wife of over 48 years, Mary Catherine.