David Franklin Houston was born on February 17, 1866, in Monroe, North Carolina. Houston was an educator and author who is perhaps best remembered for his work as a cabinet official during the administration of President Woodrow Wilson. He first served as the secretary of agriculture (1913 to 1920) and later as secretary of the treasury (1920 to 1921). Houston died in New York, New York, on September 2, 1940.