James Hormel's pioneering journey

James Hormel
Former ambassador James Hormel.
MPR Photo/Tim Post

When you think of Hormel you likely think of products like Spam. The Hormel family was one of Austin, Minnesota's best known families, owning one of the major employers in that southern Minnesota town.

One of the Hormel heirs, James C. Hormel, didn't stay in the family business. Instead, he made U.S. history by becoming the first openly gay U.S. ambassador.

Hormel writes about that in his memoir "Fit to Serve." Hormel tells Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer that the fight to become U.S. Ambassador was a long and ardous process but he says it was worth it.