The Legacy of George Washington Carver

05-17-2010

The story is told that George Washington Carver had a sincere desire to help southern farmers rebound from the ravages of the Civil War and years of the soil being depleted by the planting of cotton. He couldn't get away from the idea that the answer could be found in peanuts and sweet potatoes. Being a godly man, he prayed that God would reveal to him the secrets of the universe. He told his friends that God replied, "Little man, you're too small to grasp the secrets of the universe. But I will show you the secret of the peanut."

His research at the Tuskegee Institute resulted in the creation of more than 300 products from peanuts -- products like cooking oil, paint and, yes, peanut butter. In addition, he created more than 100 products from sweet potatoes.