ST. LOUIS – Did you know that Dr. George Washington Carver, a scientist and inventor, is from Missouri? He had a huge influence on 19th and 20th-century agriculture and education.
He was born into slavery in 1865, in Diamond Grove, Missouri, a few miles southeast of Joplin. He is getting his flowers at the Missouri Botanical Garden with a first-of-its-kind dedication.
This garden honors his life and accomplishments. The ‘plant doctor’ is what they called him. He’s commonly recognized as ‘the peanut man,” for his research into alternative crops to cotton – like peanuts, soybeans, and sweet potatoes.
He became immersed in science and botany at 12 years old and by the end of his life, he was known as one of America’s greatest scientists, teachers, humanitarians, and advocates for productive, sustainable agriculture. Furthermore, he is the first Black person to study at Iowa Agricultural College, and he revolutionized farming down south.
Pay tribute to him at his one-acre dedication in the Missouri Botanical Garden. It features a six-foot statue of Carver. Also, During Black History Month the garden is highlighting Black farmers in the St. Louis area by inviting them to share what they do, who they serve, and where they are.
