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Who Was George Washington Carver?
George Washington Carver was a prominent African American scientist and inventor, renowned for his groundbreaking work with peanuts. He developed over 300 products derived from this versatile crop, including dyes, plastics, and gasoline, though he did not invent peanut butter. Born into slavery, Carver cultivated a passion for botany that led him to earn a master’s degree from Iowa State Agricultural College (now Iowa State University). He became a dedicated educator at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, championing agricultural education and serving as an advocate for farmers. Carver gained international acclaim as a botanist and was consulted by notable figures, including President Theodore Roosevelt and Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi. He passed away in 1943 at the age of 78 and became the first African American honored with a national monument in his name.
Early Life: When Was George Washington Carver Born?
George Washington Carver was most likely born in 1864 in Diamond, Missouri, during the tumultuous years of the Civil War. Like many children of enslaved individuals, the precise year and date of his birth remain uncertain. He was born to Mary and Giles, an enslaved couple owned by Moses Carver. Tragically, Giles died in an accident before George’s birth. Just a week after he was born, Carver was kidnapped from the Carver farm, along with his mother and sister, by raiders from Arkansas. They were subsequently sold in Kentucky, but only George was located by an agent of Moses Carver and returned to Missouri.
Following the Civil War’s conclusion in 1865, which marked the end of slavery in Missouri, Moses and his wife, Susan, took George and his older brother James into their care, adopting their surname.
In his later recollections, Carver described himself as a frail child, often caught in a “constant warfare between life and death.” His delicate health meant he was more often engaged in domestic chores with Susan rather than farm labor, allowing him to learn cooking and embroidery. During this period, Carver developed a keen interest in plants, collecting specimens from the nearby woods—an early indication of the remarkable contributions he would make to botany in his later life.
Education
Due to the prevailing segregation policies, local schools did not accept Black students during George Washington Carver’s early years. As a result, his stand-in mother, Susan, took the initiative to teach him how to read and write. This quest for knowledge became a central driving force throughout Carver’s life.
Around the age of 11 or 12, Carver left the Carver home to attend a school for Black children located approximately 10 miles away in Neosho, Missouri. Although he never resided on the Carver farm again, he maintained close ties with Moses and Susan, frequently returning for visits.
While studying in Neosho, Carver was welcomed into the home of Mariah and Andrew Watkins, a Black couple who offered him lodging in exchange for assistance with household chores, including laundry. Upon meeting Mariah, he introduced himself as “Carver’s George,” a name he had used throughout his childhood to refer to himself in relation to his previous owner and caretaker. Mariah encouraged him to adopt the name “George Carver” from that point forward.
Years later, Carver began using the middle initial “W” to distinguish himself from another individual named George Carver; however, it did not correspond to any specific name. When a reporter once suggested that the initial might stand for “Washington,” Carver humorously replied, “Why not?” Despite this, he never formally used the name Washington and typically signed letters as “George Carver” or “George W. Carver.”
Mariah significantly influenced Carver’s development, introducing him to the African Methodist Episcopal Church and fostering his academic aspirations. She famously advised him, “You must learn all you can, then go back out into the world and give your learning back to the people.”
Carver attended several schools before graduating from Minneapolis High School in Minneapolis, Kansas. Initially accepted to Highland College in Highland, Kansas, he was later denied admission when the college administrators discovered his race. In lieu of attending classes, he homesteaded a claim, where he conducted biological experiments and amassed a geological collection.
In addition to his scientific interests, Carver pursued the arts. In 1890, he began studying art and music at Simpson College in Iowa, honing his skills in painting and drawing through botanical sketches. His remarkable talent for capturing the natural world led a teacher to recommend that he enroll in the botany program at Iowa State Agricultural College (now Iowa State University).
Carver relocated to Ames and commenced his botanical studies the following year, becoming the first Black student at Iowa State. He excelled academically, and upon earning his Bachelor of Science degree in 1894, his professors, Joseph Budd and Louis Pammel, encouraged him to remain for a Master’s degree, which he completed in 1896.
His graduate studies involved rigorous research in plant pathology at the Iowa Experiment Station. During this period, Carver established himself as a distinguished botanist and laid the groundwork for the impactful work he would pursue throughout his career.
Tuskegee Institute Teacher
After graduating from Iowa State University, George Washington Carver began his career in teaching and research. In 1896, he was recruited by Booker T. Washington, the founder of the Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University), to lead the agricultural department at this historically Black institution. Washington enticed Carver with a competitive salary and the offer of two rooms on campus, a privilege not typically afforded to faculty, reflecting Carver’s esteemed reputation and his educational background from a prestigious institution that had historically excluded Black students.
Under Carver’s leadership, the agricultural department at Tuskegee gained national prominence, developing a robust curriculum and attracting a dedicated faculty. His research focused on innovative agricultural practices, including crop rotation and the introduction of alternative cash crops, particularly in response to the devastating impact of the boll weevil on cotton production beginning in 1892. This work significantly contributed to the economic stability of Southern farmers, including many formerly enslaved individuals whose experiences mirrored Carver’s own.
In addition to traditional classroom education, Carver pioneered mobile classrooms, known as “Jesup wagons,” named after Morris Ketchum Jesup, a New York financier and donor to Tuskegee. These wagons allowed Carver to directly engage with farmers and disseminate agricultural knowledge throughout rural communities. His reputation grew, leading to recognition as a prominent scientific expert and a celebrated figure among African Americans. Notably, President Theodore Roosevelt sought Carver’s expertise on agricultural matters, and in 1916, Carver was honored as a member of the British Royal Society of Arts—an exceptional accolade for an American. His influence extended internationally, as he provided agricultural and nutritional guidance to Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi.
Throughout his life, Carver leveraged his celebrity status to advocate for scientific advancement. He wrote a syndicated newspaper column and toured the United States, emphasizing the importance of agricultural innovation and the accomplishments at Tuskegee.
Innovations in Agriculture
Carver’s tenure at the Tuskegee Institute’s agricultural department was marked by groundbreaking research in plant biology, focusing on the development of new applications for crops such as peanuts, sweet potatoes, soybeans, and pecans. During a time when cotton production was declining in the South, Carver proposed the cultivation of peanuts and soybeans, both of which enhance nitrogen levels in the soil, alongside sweet potatoes. While these crops thrived in the Southern climate, they initially faced limited market demand. Carver’s innovative research and inventions ultimately provided solutions, helping struggling sharecroppers to stabilize their livelihoods.
Among his numerous inventions, Carver developed over 300 products from peanuts, including milk, plastics, paints, dyes, cosmetics, medicinal oils, soap, ink, and wood stains; 118 products from sweet potatoes, such as molasses, postage stamp glue, flour, vinegar, and synthetic rubber; and even a type of gasoline.
Misconceptions and Advocacy
Despite popular belief, Carver did not invent peanut butter. However, he extensively researched alternative uses for peanuts, earning him the nickname “Peanut Man” after a notable speech to the Peanut Growers Association in 1920. The following year, he testified before Congress in support of a tariff on imported peanuts, which Congress subsequently approved in 1922.
Carver also advocated for racial harmony in the United States. From 1923 to 1933, he toured white Southern colleges as part of the Commission on Interracial Cooperation. While he largely stayed away from direct political confrontation and refrained from openly criticizing social norms, his work and philosophy reflected the politics of accommodation championed by both Carver and Washington. His contributions to agricultural education and economic empowerment had a profound impact on the lives of many farming families, earning him respect from both Black and white communities.
Carver developed lasting friendships with influential figures, including auto magnate Henry Ford, who collaborated with him on projects aimed at finding alternatives to gasoline, including a successful rubber substitute derived from the goldenrod plant in 1942. Ford even facilitated Carver’s access to his laboratory by installing an elevator in his dormitory during Carver’s later years.
Carver never married and had no known children, often prioritizing his work over personal relationships. He declined matchmaking attempts from friends, though he did engage in a three-year relationship with Sarah Hunt, a teacher at the Tuskegee Institute night school program. Author Christina Vella suggests in her 2015 biography, George Washington Carver: A Life, that Carver may have been bisexual. In 1935, as his health declined, he hired an assistant, Austin W. Curtis, who supported Carver in his research and travels. Carver regarded Curtis as more of a son than merely an assistant.
Death and Legacy
Carver passed away on January 5, 1943, at the age of 78, following a fall at his home. He was interred beside Booker T. Washington on the grounds of the Tuskegee Institute, with his epitaph reading: “He could have added fortune to fame, but caring for neither, he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world.” A memorial service was held in his honor at the Tuskegee chapel.
Commemoration
Before his death, the first museum dedicated to Carver opened in 1941 on the Tuskegee campus, showcasing his contributions to science and art. Although a fire in December 1947 destroyed much of the museum’s collection, one surviving piece was a painting displayed at the 1893 Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition. Since 1977, the National Park Service has operated the museum.
In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt allocated funds for the George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond, Missouri—the first national monument dedicated to an African American. This 210-acre site includes a statue of Carver, a nature trail, a museum, and a cemetery. Carver has been honored on U.S. commemorative postage stamps and a half-dollar coin, while numerous schools and military vessels bear his name. In 2005, the Missouri Botanical Garden opened a George Washington Carver Garden featuring a life-sized statue of the renowned scientist.
These honors reflect Carver’s enduring legacy as a symbol of African American achievement and American ingenuity. His life exemplifies the transformative power of education, particularly for individuals born into challenging circumstances.