1. George Washington Carver By Miss Sherri Friddle

2. Birthplace  George Washington Carver was born in 1864 in Diamond Grove, Missouri during the Civil War.

3. Early Life  George and his brother were born as slaves. But they were raised by Moses and Susan Carver who adopted them when their mother was taken away during the Civil War.  Living on the farm is where George first began to love nature. He collected all types of rocks and plants.  George was given the nickname “The Plant Doctor.”

4. School Years  George began his education at the age of twelve. He had to leave his home because there were no schools for black children near his home.  It was very difficult for George to get into college because of the racial discrimination. But at the age of 30, George finally was accepted into Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.

5. Working Years  In 1897, Booker T. Washington, founder of Tuskegee Institute, asked George to work at the institute.  George became the director of agriculture. He held this position until his death in 1943.

6. Contributions to Society  While working at Tuskegee Institute, George invented crop rotation for farmers. He taught the farmers that if they would rotate different crops each year the soil would replenish itself of the nutrients it needed and crops would be more plentiful. This proved to be very successful.

7. Contributions to Society  Helped the south to become a multi-crop region with the crop rotation instead of a single crop region.  He produced 500 different shades of dyes.  In 1927, he produced paints from soybeans.

8. Contributions to Society  He developed 300 uses for peanuts like paper, ink, peanut butter, and oils

9. Contirbutions to Society  He also developed hundreds of uses for sweet potatoes, soybeans, and pecans.

10. Contributions to Society  He helped improve several products like grease, bleach, buttermilk, plastic, shoe polish, etc.  George never made any profit from his discoveries.  George died in 1943.

11. Website of Interest  http://inventors.about.com/library/wee kly/aa041897.htm