Monday, January 19, 2009

Another History Maker

As the first black president is about to be inaugurated and we pause to remember a leader in the civil rights movement that was a catalyst in changing many peoples views and ideas about African-Americans, I wanted to share a word or two about one of my favorite historical figures, George Washington Carver.

Carver was born to slaves in 1864 and became one of the most influential men in the shaping of agriculture in our country. Consider some of his achievements:

- First black student at Simpson College
- Earned a Bachelors and Masters Degree at Iowa State College and was accepted as faculty
- Left Iowa for a position at the Tuskegee Institute in poverty stricken Alabama
- Discovered more than three hundred products derived from the peanut, about 100 from sweet potatoes and 75 from pecans.
- Introduced a crop rotation method that replaced vital nutrients to the soil.
- Received patents for paints and stains derived from Alabama soil.

Carver attributed his successes to God's revelation, saying, "I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in."

Hopefully, in all our endeavors, we will seek to hear how God is speaking to us and get our wisdom from him.

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