George Washington Carver

George Washington Carver was a famous scientist. Carver did some work with agriculture. George discovered and did experiments with different plants used in farming. Carver helped make different pesticides to fight against insects that ate farmers crops. George Carver developed new ways that are still used today in farming today. Carver also found uses for different things like peanuts and other plants. He also was awarded many medals and honors during his life time.

George Washington Carver was born around 1861, probably on July 12, but nobody really knows for sure. Carver was born to Mary and Giles Carver on the Susan and Moses Carver plantation. George’s mother and father were slaves owned by Susan and Moses Carver in Diamond, Missouri. The Carver Museum marks the place where he was born. Later, after he was born he and his mother were kidnapped and taken down to Arkansas. Moses Carver then paid the money that he owed. They came back, and gave George back to Susan and Moses Carver. They kept Mary because they probably did not want to be bothered by the baby. George was raised by Moses and Susan Carver. As he got older people started calling him the “Plant Doctor”, because he was so good with plants.

When George was a teenager he went to a school for black children in Neosho, Kansas. He then spent the next ten years traveling through the Midwest. He finally finished school in his early twenties. Then George spent time farming until he had enough money to go to Simpson College in Iowa. After some time at Simpson he went to Iowa State, and in 1894 he became the first black student to graduate from Iowa State University. In 1896, George Washington Carver received his Masters Degree from Iowa State University. At this time George was beginning to be known around the U.S. for the study of fungi and parasites, and also for the study of plants.

Later in 1896, George was invited to work at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. He accepted the job, and was given the opportunity to build an agriculture building and laboratory. By 1897, the U.S. Department of Agriculture funded the small laboratory at Tuskegee Institute. At this time Carver began working on how to solve the problems the South was having with their fields. When Carver came to the Tuskegee Institute the peanut had not even been recognized as a crop. But later it became the sixth leading crop in the United States. In the South the peanut became the second most important crop, by 1940. Carver made more than three hundred different products from the peanut. George made things like wood stains, shampoo, face power, printer ink, vinegar, soap, coffee, butter, milk, and cheese. These were only a few things that he had that he made from peanuts. he also made different things from other