November is Peanut Butter Lovers Month and in celebration of this month CEO Blog Nation and Hearpreneur are spotlighting one of the most famous inventors and entrepreneurs that found about 100 uses of peanuts.
George Washington Carver is an American inventor, educator, scientist, and botanist. The exact date and year of Carver’s birth were unknown, but he was believed to be born in January 1986 in slavery in Diamond Grove, Missouri. He and his mother were kidnapped by night-raiders of a confidante who brought them to Kansas. After the war, Moses Carver, George’s foster father, found George while his mother disappeared forever. His father’s identity was unknown and but his father was believed to be a slave in a neighboring farm. Moses Carver and his wife Susan Carver raised George as their own child.
He started formal education when he was twelve and attend a school in Kansas, Minneapolis High School. When he was at the age of 30, he was accepted to a college school in Indianola, Simpson College, but he transferred to Iowa Agricultural College in 1891.
While studying in college, George developed the concept he called mighty vision. He believed that there might be a mutual profitable relationship with manufacturing and agriculture. He found ways in order to incorporate the portions of peanut into huge collection of products like plastics, gasoline, milk, cheese, coffee, dyes, ink, wood stains, flour and many others. In fact, his created product total 300. He also found 118 non-food sweet potato uses.
During the Reconstruction era in the South where poverty was very rampant, people relied on agriculture. Because of unstoppable cotton farming, most of the lands were depleted. George then thought that he could look for several uses for economical productive crops like sweet potatoes, cow peas, and peanuts, since these crops can enrich the soil. Through is forward thinking, he had a great impact fighting poverty. He continuously traveled to lecture the people about his theories in radical agriculture.
Even thought he was black, Carver still found ways to share his theories with different people. The mix of social justice and science altered the American agriculture landscape through organic farming and research on plant-based medicines and fuels.
Because of his methodical work, commitment to research, and patience, he provided so much benefit to several people in the South. George Washington Carver did not just rely on pure science; in fact, he attributed all his success to his religion. He heeded the Lord’s command and served and helped other people.
Photograph of George Washington Carver taken by Frances Benjamin Johnston in 1906.