The Mississippi enterprise. (Jackson, Miss.) 1938-current, 1943-01-09
Greatest Contributor To
Southern Agriculture Dies
At His Alabama Home

Beta Sigma fraternity acting as
pallbearers, funeral services were
held Friday, January 8, in the cha
pei of Tuskegee Institute, for DR..
George Washington Carver, who
was Dor ma slave, some 70 years
ago and became one of the great
est American scientists. Death
came to this great man, Tuesday
night, January 5.
DR.. Carver had been in failing
health for several years, but re-
Gently slffered a fall which confin-
ed him to his home on the campus
of the famous school where he had
taught since 1896 and from which
he never recovered.
DR.. Carver can we'll be listed as
the greatest contributor to South
ern Agriculture, for his chemical
discoveries, especially the pr '-c's
that can be made from sweet po-
tatoes and peanuts, increased the
income of the South many millions
of dollars.
Throughout his life he preached
crop Investigation and self suf--
ficiency and in 1912 was honored
by the Progressive Farmers Asso-
citation for having contributed the
greatest service to Southern Agri-
culture.
In August, 1885, he was appoin-
ted collaboration in the Bureau of
Plant Industry of the United Sta
ties Department of Agriculture and
in 1887 he became a member of the
Royal Society of Arts, London. DR..
Carver was awarded the Sping-
arm Medal in 1923 for his research
in potash, peanuts and sweetpota-
toes and the Theodore Roosevelt
Medal in 1929 for distinguished
service in science. He was an ex-
cellent painter and was honored
by the Luxembourg Galleries of
Paris with a request for one of
his paintings, but he declined the
honor. Native clays dug within a
few miles of his school formed the
base of his paints.
DR. Carver received offers that
would have made him millionaire
but he refused to leave Tuskegee,
until lost xyoor 1xyhox, h. J;5 n1~,o
research in Henry Ford's Detroit
Laboratories. His knowledge of
science would have made him a we
althy man but he gave them free
ly to the warld. The late Thomas
A. Edison invited ORD. Carver to
work with him, this offer was al
SO declined.
This great man never patented
any of his discoveries. He was ne
Yer married and left no relatives.
In 1910 he gave $4,000 to create
a foundation to perputate resear-
CHI in creative chemistry.
DR.. George Washington Carver
was born of slave parents on the
plantation of Moses Carver near
Diamond Grove, Mo-, in 1864. Ac-
cording to the story so often told
of his life night riders kidnapped
him and his mother while he was
still baby and his master ransom
ed him for a $500 horse.
From the plantation where he
was born, he went to Minneapolis
Kans., and here obtained his gra-
mmar and high school education
by his own support.
He enrolled at the University of
Iowa, but it refused to let him en-
ter when it was learned that he
was a Negro. The following fall
he enrolled at Simpson College.
Ames, where he received a bache-
lor's and masters degree in ag-
riculture. He was class poet in his
final year at Iowa State and Pres
ident Pammell, said he was the
most brilliant student he had ever
known.
Booker T. Washington, who had
founded Tuskegee Institute, invited
him to take charge of the institute
agricultural classes in 1896.
Before he died he had more than
800 useful products from peanuts,
including cheese, condiments, paper
coffee, plastics, stains, insulating
board and face powder. He made
118 products from sweetpotatoes,
including ink. glue, stains and cry
stalled ginger. He developed new
uses for cotton and proved it CO.
uld be used to build roads. He was
the first person to make newsprint
from southern pine.
1t was DR.. Carver's wish that the
foundation which he created would
serve all people, regardless Of race