Who was George Washington Carver?

1. Who was George Washington Carver? A suggested unit of instruction for CTAE programs to help celebrate Black History Month 1864 – 1943 Written by Dallas Duncan and Dr. Frank B. Flanders Foundation Skills, Unit 10.8, FS-10 2010

2. Why Study George Washington Carver? • George Washington Carver was a great scientist and teacher. He was a master of the applied sciences. • He is a great role model for Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education students who aspire to influence their areas of expertise, as Carver did in his field. • It is suggested that CTAE classes use the study of George Washington Carver’s life and contributions to help celebrate Black History Month.

3. Objectives: Students will be able to… • Explain the adversity George Washington Carver faced in his lifetime • Discuss the early life and childhood of George Washington Carver • Outline the basics of George Washington Carver’s education • List products invented or improved by George Washington Carver • Discuss George Washington Carver’s teaching philosophy • List honors and awards George Washington Carver received during his lifetime

4. Childhood

5. Born into Slavery • Born around 1864 in Diamond Grove, Missouri • George Washington Carver, his brother Jim, and his mother, Mary, were slaves • Owners were Moses and Susan Carver • George and Mary were kidnapped and taken to Arkansas — George was returned but Mary was never seen again Above: Carver’s birthplace, now part of the George Washington Carver National Historic Site

6. Life in Diamond Grove • George and Jim were raised by Susan and Moses • Spent a lot of time out in the woods cultivating and “doctoring” plants • George was sickly and spent time with Susan, who taught him “womanly” skills • George and Jim started at a white school because there weren’t enough African American children to warrant a separate school in the town

7. The College Years Left to Right: Simpson College and an early photograph of Iowa State Agricultural College

8. Left: The Creamery operators at Iowa State Agricultural College; Carver is in the back row EducationallySpeaking… • George left Missouri at an early age to start a college career • 1890: George enrolled at Simpson College to study piano and art, but had to withdraw because of his race • Transferred to Iowa State Agricultural College, where in 1894 he earned a Bachelor’s in Agriculture • 1896: Earned a Master’s of Agriculture degree from Iowa State Agricultural College

9. Self-Sufficiency Left to Right: Painting was one way George Washington Carver helped pay for his education • There were no real scholarships when George went to college, so he had to pay his own way through school • George worked doing laundry, cooking, and selling artwork to pay for college • He was such a good artist, one of his paintings won Honorable Mention at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair

10. Teaching the Next Generation of Agriculturalists Left: Faculty at Tuskegee Institute, 1902. George Washington Carver is front and center.

11. Agricultural Educator by Choice • 1894: Joined the faculty of Iowa State Agricultural College • 1896: Recruited by Booker T. Washington to become the director of agriculture at both the Tuskegee Institute and the Tuskegee Agricultural Experiment Station • Carver turned down a $100,000 job offer from Thomas Edison to go work at Tuskegee • 1906: George and his students created the Jessup Wagon, which was driven around the state to bring information and demonstrations to Alabama farmers • The Jessup Wagon inspired the USDA extension service Above: Carver teaches students using skeletons of a cow and calf; Right: The Jessup Wagon

12. The Blossoming of a Career

13. Award-Winning Scientist • 1916: Elected as Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts in London • 1923: Received the Springarn Medal for Distinguished Service to Science from the NAACP • 1939: Received the Roosevelt Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Southern Agriculture • 1941: Received the Award of Merit from the Variety Clubs of America

14. Can’t Stop Learning • Carver received several degrees after he finished college, but he never stopped learning! • 1928: Received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Simpson College • 1942: Received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Selma University

15. Carver as an Innovator • Carver created or improved over 400 products in his career, many of them derived from the peanut and sweet potatoes • He also made house paints from natural Alabama clays, which were used in various institutions in his home state Above: Carver working in his lab to extract peanut milk

16. Some of Carver’s Innovations…

17. Carver’s Lasting Legacy Left to Right: Bust of George Washington Carver at Tuskegee University; Entrance to George Washington Carver National Monument; US Postage stamp honoring Carver

18. Contributions Outside the Lab • 1921: Elected to appear and speak on behalf of the United Peanut Association at the US House Committee on Ways and Means’ meeting about the peanut tariff • 1935: Appointed as collaborator of the Mycology and Plant Disease Survey for the USDA Bureau of Plant Industry • 1939: Became an honorary member of the American Inventor’s Society

19. Permanent Reminders • 1937: Tuskegee unveiled a bust of George Washington Carver • 1938: Hollywood released a movie based on George’s life • 1941: The George Washington Carver Museum was dedicated at Tuskegee • 1942: Missouri’s governor placed a marker at George’s birthplace