Iowa State University honors famous alumnus, inventor
George Washington Carver is only the third person to be recognized by the state with a day of recognition.
George Washington Carver is only the third person to be recognized by the state with a day of recognition.
George Washington Carver is only the third person to be recognized by the state with a day of recognition.
Hundreds of people packed the Great Hall of Memorial Union on Feb. 1 to celebrate the first-ever George Washington Carver Day.
Carver is only the third person to be recognized by the state with a day of recognition. Herbert Hoover and Norman Borlaug are the other two.
"Giving him this platform that every year we are going to celebrate his life, his legacy, is something that is long overdue," said Andrew Manu, professor emeritus and George Washington Carver chair.
Carver enrolled at Iowa State University in 1891. He was Iowa State's first Black student and first Black faculty member. He went on to have a groundbreaking career in agriculture. Carver improved farming systems and developed hundreds of food products from plants such as peanuts.
"He was born enslaved. Turned away from colleges in other states just because of the color of his skin. Suffered unspeakable violence that scarred him for all his life, and yet he came to Iowa and found solace, acceptance and he had this epiphany here. He went on to become one of Iowa's greatest agricultural scientists," said Kenneth Quinn, former ambassador to Cambodia.
Several ISU staff members and speakers spoke at the celebration and read some of Carver's writings to honor him.
ISU President Wendy Wintersteen included one of Carver's famous quotes in her speech.
"It's simply service that measures success," Wintersteen said.