George Washington Carver
George
Washington Carver (January 1864 – January 5, 1943), was an African American
scientist, botanist, teacher, and inventor whose work revolutionized
agriculture in the Southern United States.
When
Slave holders Moses and Susan Carver moved to Southwest Missouri they built a
small 12' x 12' cabin. Eventually that same cabin was inhabited by an enslaved
girl named Mary. She gave birth to George towards the end of the Civil War. George’s
exact birth day and year are unknown, but it is known that his birth was before
Missouri slavery was abolished in January, 1864.
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The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA), the only alumni association comprised of former NBA, ABA, Harlem Globetrotter and WNBA players, is commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 150th Anniversary of the 13th Amendment – in conjunction with the University Honors Program at Loyola University New Orleans and ELEVATE, an academic, athletic and mentoring program for inner-city teens – by issuing a one-of-a-kind limited edition print of Martin Luther King's “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” signed by Dr. King and more than 50 former NBA players. |
As a
young child, George’s interest in plants was evident earning the nickname of "Plant
Doctor” due to his careful tending to a secret garden of cotton depleted. Here he experimented with different types of plants
that ultimately formed a burning desire in George for a scientific education tailored
to understand and aid him in unlocking botanical secrets.
In
the late 18th Century, the boll weevil destroyed much of the cotton
crop that was not faring well in the depleted soil. His experiments and
successes resulted in poor farmers planting his alternative crops which thrived
becoming a food source, not only for their family’s food, but for area
consumers.
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| George Washington Carver (front row, center) pictured with fellow teachers and colleagues at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama Circa 1902 |
Booker
T. Washington, the president of the Tuskegee Institute, invited Carver to head
its Agriculture Department in 1896. For 47 years, Carver taught at Tuskegee developing
the department into a strong research center. Carver developed and published unique uses for
his thriving crops which improved their marketability. His most popular bulletin contained 105
existing food recipes that required the use of peanuts. He also created and/or disseminated over 100 peanut
products that were useful for the house and family farm, including cosmetics,
dyes, paints, plastics, gasoline, and nitroglycerin.
He
taught methods of crop rotation, perfected the selection of alternative cash
crops for farmers that would improve the cotton depleted soil. He took his classroom on the road, thanks to Morris
Ketchum Jesup, who provided the funding. The "Jesup wagon "taught generations
of black students as well as family farmer agricultural techniques for self-sufficiency.
In
addition to his work on agricultural experimentation his other accomplishments
included improvement of racial relations, mentoring children, poetry, painting,
and religion. His example of hard work, maintaining a positive mental attitude,
and thirst for good education was infectious for all who knew him. His
humility, genuine interest in others, good nature, thrift, and generosity was
evident and admired widely.
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| George Washington Carver "One of America's great scientists." U.S. World War II poster circa 1943 |
He,
early in the civil rights movement, shattered the widespread stereotype that
the black race was intellectually inferior to the white race. In 1941, Time
magazine dubbed him a "Black Leonardo", a reference to the white
polymath Leonardo da Vinci. To commemorate his life and inventions, George
Washington Carver Recognition Day is celebrated on January 5, the anniversary
of the day Carver died.
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