# Allen J. Ellender *Senator named in the opening words of Lyndon Johnson's 1966 remarks at the signing of the Child Nutrition Act.* Senator Ellender is the second person named in the opening words of President [[Lyndon Johnson]]'s remarks at the signing of the [[Child Nutrition Act of 1966]] on October 11, 1966: "Secretary Freeman, Senator Ellender, Members of the Congress:"[^1] The American Presidency Project's editorial note identifies the first person addressed as [[Secretary of Agriculture]] Orville L. Freeman.[^1] In that address the senator is identified only by title and surname. The record does not establish his state, his party, or his part in drafting or passing the Act.[^1][^2] The Act Johnson signed, Public Law 89-642, 80 Stat. 885, set up a pilot school breakfast program at §4 and reauthorized the Special Milk Program at §3.[^3] Johnson presented the Act as a response to children arriving at school hungry.[^1] Two years later, Public Law 90-302 authorized meals served through "private, nonprofit institutions or public institutions, such as child day-care centers, settlement houses, or recreation centers."[^4] The [[Child and Adult Care Food Program]] descends from that 1968 section.[^4][^5] Senator Ellender appears in one at-issue pair. It sets the 1966 signing beside a March 2026 White House presidential action, *Establishing the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud*.[^6] The record documents that action's title. It contains no finding that concerns Senator Ellender.[^6][^1] ## Who Johnson opened his remarks by naming two officials and then the Congress. The first was Secretary Freeman and the second was Senator Ellender.[^1] [[Orville Freeman]] served as Secretary of Agriculture from January 21, 1961, to January 20, 1969.[^7] The Child Nutrition Act was a statute signed by the President.[^3] The signing remarks and the statute text in this record do not show what Senator Ellender did in the legislative process.[^1][^3] ## What Section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 established "a pilot program to assist States through grants-in-aid and other means, to initiate, maintain, or expand nonprofit breakfast programs in schools." This was the origin of the [[School Breakfast Program]], set up as a two-year pilot.[^3][^8] Section 3 reauthorized the Special Milk Program. That program began earlier, in §204(b) of the Agricultural Act of 1954, P.L. 83-690.[^3] The Act also extended school lunch eligibility to preschool children.[^3][^1] ## When - February 2, 1961: Freeman announced food stamp pilot programs.[^9] - April 17, 1963: Freeman submitted legislation for a permanent program. USDA's history records that "Secretary Orville Freeman had submitted proposed legislation to establish a permanent FSP on April 17, 1963."[^9] - August 31, 1964: Johnson signed the Food Stamp Act of 1964, P.L. 88-525, 78 Stat. 703.[^10] - October 11, 1966, 6:06 p.m.: The Child Nutrition Act of 1966 was approved.[^3] - May 8, 1968: Public Law 90-302, 82 Stat. 117, added a new Section 13 to the [[National School Lunch Act]]. The section was headed "SPECIAL FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN" and created the [[Special Food Service Program for Children]].[^4] - October 7, 1975: Public Law 94-105, 89 Stat. 511, split §13 in two. Section 13 became the [[Summer Food Service Program]], under the statutory heading Summer Food Service Program for Children. A new §17 became the Child Care Food Program.[^11] - November 10, 1989: Public Law 101-147, §105(a), amended the heading of §17 to read "CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM."[^12] The Institute of Medicine states: "In 1968, CACFP began as a small 3-year pilot program called the Special Food Service Program for Children."[^5] USDA's own legislative-history pages for the summer and child-care food programs now return an archived-content notice.[^13][^14] The [[Statutes at Large]] therefore remain the record for this sequence.[^4][^11][^12] ## Why At the 1966 signing, Johnson stated: "Thousands of children arrive at school hungry because they have no breakfast. This act provides for breakfasts at school."[^1] Within two years the statutory text no longer limited meals to schools. [[Public Law 90-302]] authorized meals through "private, nonprofit institutions or public institutions, such as child day-care centers, settlement houses, or recreation centers."[^4] The 1975 and 1989 enactments then made that section the basis of two standing programs.[^11][^12] ## How much Public Law 90-302 authorized "$32,000,000 for each of the three fiscal years ending June 30, 1969, June 30, 1970, and June 30, 1971."[^4] The record here does not carry the 1966 Act's authorization figures.[^3] ## In the at-issue record The pair [[At issue 002 - Lyndon Johnson's remarks at the signing of the]] quotes the opening of Johnson's 1966 remarks, "Secretary Freeman, Senator Ellender."[^1] It is anchored to the March 2026 White House action *Establishing the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud*. The pair treats the 1966 signing as the founding ceremony of the program family that the task force now oversees.[^6] The pair also makes statements about the programs' later history in a county. No document in this record supports those statements, and they are not repeated here.[^6] ## Notes [^1]: American Presidency Project, *Remarks at the Signing of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966* (October 11, 1966) — opening words "Secretary Freeman, Senator Ellender, Members of the Congress:"; editorial note "he referred to Secretary of Agriculture Orville L. Freeman"; stated purpose of breakfasts at school. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-the-signing-the-child-nutrition-act-1966 [^2]: Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library, *Remarks at the Signing of the Child Nutrition Act* (October 11, 1966) — library copy of the same remarks. https://www.lbjlibrary.org/object/text/remarks-signing-child-nutrition-act-10-11-1966 [^3]: United States Statutes at Large, *Child Nutrition Act of 1966, Public Law 89-642, 80 Stat. 885* (October 11, 1966, 6:06 p.m.) — §4 pilot breakfast program; §3 Special Milk Program reauthorization (the program originated in §204(b) of P.L. 83-690). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-80/pdf/STATUTE-80-Pg885.pdf [^4]: United States Statutes at Large, *Public Law 90-302, 82 Stat. 117* (May 8, 1968) — new NSLA §13, "SPECIAL FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN"; $32,000,000 for each of three fiscal years; institutions eligible. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-82/pdf/STATUTE-82-Pg117.pdf [^5]: Institute of Medicine, *Child and Adult Care Food Program: Aligning Dietary Guidance for All* (2011), ch. 2 — CACFP began in 1968 as the Special Food Service Program for Children. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK209814/ [^6]: The White House, *Establishing the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud* (March 2026) — the presidential action that serves as the at-issue anchor. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/establishing-the-task-force-to-eliminate-fraud/ [^7]: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, *Officials of the Kennedy Administration* — "Orville L. Freeman -- Secretary of Agriculture (January 21, 1961 – January 20, 1969)." https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/life-of-john-f-kennedy/fast-facts-john-f-kennedy/officials-of-the-kennedy-administration [^8]: Social Security Administration, *Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (P.L. 89-642), codified text* — current codified text of the Act. https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/comp2/F089-642.html [^9]: USDA, *A Short History of SNAP* — pilot programs announced February 2, 1961; Freeman's April 17, 1963 legislative proposal. https://www.fna.usda.gov/snap/history [^10]: American Presidency Project, *Remarks Upon Signing the Food Stamp Act* (August 31, 1964) — signing of P.L. 88-525. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-upon-signing-the-food-stamp-act [^11]: United States Statutes at Large, *Public Law 94-105, 89 Stat. 511* (October 7, 1975) — split of NSLA §13 into the Summer Food Service Program for Children and a new §17 Child Care Food Program. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-89/pdf/STATUTE-89-Pg511.pdf [^12]: United States Statutes at Large, *Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 1989, Public Law 101-147* (November 10, 1989), §105(a) — §17 heading amended to "CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM." https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-103/pdf/STATUTE-103-Pg877.pdf [^13]: USDA Food and Nutrition Service, *SFSP Program History* — dead; now returns an archived-content notice. https://www.fns.usda.gov/sfsp/program-history [^14]: USDA Food and Nutrition Service, *CACFP Legislative History* — dead; now returns an archived-content notice. https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/legislative-history