George Washington Carver Poster

George Washington Carver was an American scientist, botanist, educator and inventor. The exact day and year of his birth are unknown; he is believed to have been born in January 1864, in Diamond, Missouri, before slavery was abolished there. Much of his fame is based on his research into and promotion of crops as alternatives to cotton, such as peanuts and sweet potatoes. He wanted poor farmers to grow these alternative crops both as a source of their own food and as a source of other products to improve their quality of life.

In addition to his work on agricultural extension education advocating sustainable agriculture, Carver's important accomplishments also included improving race relations, mentoring children, poetry, painting and religion. Carver died on 5 January 1943, in Tuskegee, Alabama.