Celebrating Black History Month: George Washington Carver

Born into slavery in Missouri, George W. Carver (1864–1943) dedicated his life to improving the lives of poor Black farmers in the American South. Carver was often sick as a child. This made him frail and unable to work long hours, so instead he spent more time in nature.

Carver pursued education though he was denied entry twice to colleges because of his race. He earned his first degree in art from Simpson College, and he was their first Black student. He then studied botany at Iowa State where he was also the first Black student. He earned his Masters in botany in 1896 after two years working at the Iowa Experimental Farm. Booker T. Washington invited him to head up the Agricultural Department at Tuskegee Institute, a historically Black college and university.

Carver became a household name because of his work at Tuskegee Institute. Concerned about nutrient depletion in fields planted only with cotton, he encouraged crop rotation between sweet potatoes and peanuts to help the soil recover its nutrients.

He discovered over 300 uses for peanuts and over 100 uses for sweet potatoes. America celebrates him as one of their greatest scientists.