40 Famous Iowans - George Washington Carver

George Washington Carver was one of the greatest scientists of the 20^th century. The effects of his inventions can still be felt today. In 1864, Carver was born into slavery Diamond Grove, Missouri. He was very sick and frail throughout much of his childhood. At one point he and his mother were kidnapped by a band of raiders and found days later by a neighbor who traded him back to his own in return for a race horse. Carver’s life was full of milestones and achievements.

From 1925-1927 alone he received three patents. It was his time spent on the farms during his slavery where Carver fell in love with plants. He made it his life mission after being a slave to finding uses for nature and its plants, specifically southern agriculture. What he is probably best known for were his techniques in crop-rotation and nutrient conservation in soil. Also, his over 300 uses for the peanut and several others using soybeans. Everything from cooking items to soaps to ink was made from peanuts. There were also several inventions made from sweet potatoes and pecans as well. His hundreds of inventions did the south so much good that it revolutionized their economy, taking off some of their deep needs for cotton.

Due to his skin color, Carver was rejected by several schools and couldn’t start schooling until age 12 in southwest Missouri. When ready for college Carver was again rejected by Highland University due to his race. In 1890 he was accepted by Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. As his interests in the field grew however he transferred to what is now Iowa State University. He was so successful there that in 1894 after graduating he was offered a teaching position, the first for the school. He worked in the greenhouses as an agriculture and botany professor. Many of the hundreds of uses from sweet potatoes were utilized as well. Although Carver received patents for some of his products he never patented any of them. He wanted his work to be available for everyone to use, for the good of mankind. Carver’s work helped everyone, even up until today and he received equality and respect from all. In 1990 he was inducted into the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame.