Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140

Carver graduation imageRS 21/7/2
George Washington Carver
Collection, 1893-[ongoing]


Descriptive summary

creator:

 

title:

George Washington Carver Collection

dates:

1893-[ongoing]

extent:

1.89 linear feet (4 document boxes and 1 half-document box)

collection number:

RS 21/7/2

repository:

University Archives, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access:

Open for research

publication rights:

Consult Head, Special Collections Department

preferred citation:

George Washington Carver Collection, RS 21/7/2, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Biographical note

From inauspicious and dramatic beginnings, George Washington Carver became one of the nation's greatest educators and agricultural researchers. He was born in about 1864 (the exact year is unknown) on the Moses Carver plantation in Diamond Grove, Mo. His father died in an accident shortly before his birth, and when he was still an infant, Carver and his mother were kidnapped by slave raiders. The baby was returned to the plantation, but his mother was never heard from again.

Carver grew to be a student of life and a scholar, despite the illness and frailty of his early childhood. Because he was not strong enough to work in the fields, he helped with household chores and gardening. Probably as a result of these duties and because of the hours he would spend exploring the woods around his home, he developed a keen interest in plants at an early age. He gathered and cared for a wide variety of flora from the land near his home and became known as the "plant doctor," helping neighbors and friends with ailing plants. He learned to read, write and spell at home because there were no schools for African Americans in Diamond Grove. From age 10, his thirst for knowledge and desire for formal education led him to several communities in Missouri and Kansas and finally, in 1890, to Indianola, Iowa, were he enrolled at Simpson College to study piano and painting.

He excelled in art and music, but art instructor Etta Budd, whose father was head of the Iowa State College Department of Horticulture, recognized Carver's horticultural talents. She convinced him to pursue a more pragmatic career in scientific agriculture and, in 1891, he became the first African American to enroll at Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, which today is Iowa State University.

Through quiet determination and perseverance, Carver soon became involved in all facets of campus life. He was a leader in the YMCA and the debate club. He worked in the dining rooms and as a trainer for the athletic teams. He was captain, the highest student rank, of the campus military regiment. His poetry was published in the student newspaper and two of his paintings were exhibited at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago.

Carver's interests in music and art remained strong, but it was his excellence in botany and horticulture that prompted professors Joseph Budd and Louis Pammel to encourage him to stay on as a graduate student after he completed his bachelor's degree in 1894. Because of his proficiency in plant breeding, Carver was appointed to the faculty, becoming Iowa State's first African American faculty member.

Over the next two years, as assistant botanist for the College Experiment Station, Carver quickly developed scientific skills in plant pathology and mycology, the branch of botany that deals with fungi. He published several articles on his work and gained national respect. In 1896, he completed his master's degree and was invited by Booker T. Washington to join the faculty of Alabama's Tuskegee Institute.

At Tuskegee, he gained an international reputation in research, teaching and outreach. Carver taught his students that nature is the greatest teacher and that by understanding the forces in nature, one can understand the dynamics of agriculture. He instilled in them the attitude of gentleness and taught that education should be "made common" --used for betterment of the people in the community.

Carver's work resulted in the creation of 325 products from peanuts, more than 100 products from sweet potatoes and hundreds more from a dozen other plants native to the South. These products contributed to rural economic improvement by offering alternative crops to cotton that were beneficial for the farmers and for the land. During this time, Carver also carried the Iowa State extension concept to the South and created "movable schools," bringing practical agricultural knowledge to farmers, thereby promoting health, sound nutrition and self-sufficiency. Dennis Keeney, director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, writes in the Leopold Letter newsletter about Carver's contributions:

Carver worked on improving soils, growing crops with low inputs, and
using species that fixed nitrogen (hence, the work on the cowpea and
the peanut). Carver wrote in The Need of Scientific Agriculture in the
South: "The virgin fertility of our soils and the vast amount of unskilled
labor have been more of a curse than a blessing to agriculture. This
exhaustive system for cultivation, the destruction of forest, the rapid
and almost constant decomposition of organic matter, have made our
agricultural problem one requiring more brains than of the North, East
or West."

Carver died in 1943. He received many honors in his lifetime and after, including a 1938 feature film, Life of George Washington Carver; the George Washington Carver Museum, dedicated at Tuskegee Institute in 1941; the Roosevelt Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Southern Agriculture in 1942; a national monument in Diamond Grove, Mo.; commemorative postage stamps in 1947 and 1998; and a fifty-cent coin in 1951. He was elected to the Hall of Fame for Great Americans in 1977 and inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1990. In 1994, Iowa State awarded him the degree, Doctor of Humane Letters.

 

Collection description

The collection (1893-[ongoing]) contains biographical material, information about Carver's birthplace monument, correspondence, information about Iowa State University, newsclippings, oral history interviews, publications by Carver, published materials about Carver, research and product development, and information about the Tuskegee Institute (University).

The biographical material consists of short biographies, census material, lists of awards and honors bestowed upon Carver, including first day covers celebrating the first day of issue for the 1948 and 1998 commemorative stamps distributed by the United States Post Office. The collection also contains newspaper and magazine articles about Carver and his achievements. Many of the clippings are memorials to Carver published after his death in 1943. There are also other published materials such as bibliographies and references of articles and books about Carver. Examples of these materials include excerpts from the Congressional Record, 1943 and 1950, and a script from a television program, "The Forgotten Man," 1962.

The correspondence in the collection is comprised of photocopies of letters between Carver and L. H. Pammel, Alfred Zissler, and others. The originals of the Pammel-Carver correspondence are located in the vault. Letters between other people concerning Carver are also included.

Information about Carver's research and scholarship is documented by published articles and lists of products developed by Carver. The published articles are comprised of Carver's B.S. Thesis, "Plants as Modified by Man," 1894; a bulletin published by the Experimental Station at the Tuskegee Institute (University), "How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption," 1925; and articles about ferns, cacti, window gardens, and plant diseases. Carver's research and product development activities are recorded on lists of numerous products developed by Carver and advertisements for Penol, a product he derived from peanuts and promoted as having medicinal properties.

The collection contains materials about institutions that associate themselves with Carver. Materials related to Iowa State University consist of information about the dedication of Carver Hall and other celebrations at Iowa State University, including the 1998-1999 All-University Celebration, "The Legacy of George Washington Carver." Materials related to Carver's birthplace monument include brochures, photographs, postcards, an article, and a report about the George Washington Carver National Monument near Diamond, Missouri. Tuskegee Institute (University) materials include a postcard, fliers, and an article about the school and its programs. Other items include brochures and reports from the George Washington Carver Foundation at the Tuskegee Institute (University).

Other materials include oral history interviews and papers and reports about Carver written by students and other authors. There are transcripts of oral history interviews with Austin W. Curtis, Alfred Zissler, and others recounting their memories of Carver. The reports and other papers written by students and others regarding Carver were donated to the Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library in gratitude for the assistance they received in researching the aforementioned papers.

The collection also contains material about Carver collected by Dana Johnson, who met Carver as a young man and was greatly influenced by him. Johnson became a regular correspondent of Carver's until his death. After Carver died, Johnson compiled materials about him and gave numerous speeches and television and newspaper interviews on his memories of Carver.

Selections from the George Washington Carver Collection have been digitized and are available on the ISU Library Digital Collections website: http://cdm16001.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/search/collection/p15031coll7.

Additional resources

The following videotapes and films are available for viewing in the Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library:

George Washington Carver (Slide Factor, Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, 1991)
Arc Vid 044

George Washington Carver (Vignette Films, 1967)
Film 04-4037

Boyhood of George Washington Carver (Coronet Films, 1973)
Film 08-3235

Story of Dr. Carver (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1938)
Film 04-3410

Also see:

Henry Agard Wallace (Wallace House Foundation, 1988)
Vh 0288
Arc Vid 045

Tuskegee University: George Washington Carver Papers are located in the Library at Tuskegee University.  The Iowa State University Library possesses a microfilm copy, located in Microforms:  S417.C3 A2 1975x, Reels 1-67, with guide.

 

 

Description of series

Series 1

George Washington Carver Collection

1895-2011, undated

extent:

1.26 linear feet (3 document boxes)

description:

The series contains biographical material, information about Carver's birthplace monument, correspondence, information about Iowa State University, news clippings, oral history interviews, publications by Carver, published materials about Carver, research and product development, and information about the Tuskegee Institute (University).

 

Container list

 

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

1

1

Biographical

1895-2006, undated

1

2

Biographical, awards and honors

1936-2006, undated

1

3

Biographical, booklet

1988

1

4

Biographical, census record

1895

3

8

Biographical, commemorative stamp

1998

3

18

Biographical, exhibitions about Carver

2007-2011

3

13

Biographical, George Washington Carver Garden at the Missouri Botanical Garden

2005

3

10

Biographical, interview of Martin C. Jischke by Lou Porter, KBBG-FM, Waterloo, IA (1 audiotape)

1999

3

9

Biographical, Iowa Award ceremony and clippings

2002

1

5

Birthplace Monument, article and historic research study

1965, 1973

1

6

Birthplace Monument, printed material, postcards, photographs

1956-2007, undated

Artifact collection

Birthplace Monument, National Park Service pin and gold peanut pin (Artifacts 2008-036.01 and 2008-036.02)

ca. 2005

5 2 Book - "Kumi and Chanti Tell the Story of George Washington Carver" children's book emphasizing black history 1992
5 3 Booklet - children's educational activity books about Carver's legacy undated

1

7

Correspondence, Carver, general (photocopies and originals)

1923-1933

1

8

Correspondence, Carver—Pammel, L.H. (photocopies)

1897-1914

1

9

Correspondence, Carver—Pammel, L.H. (photocopies)

1918-1923

1

10

Correspondence, Carver—Pammel, L.H. (photocopies)

1924-1928

1

11

Correspondence, Carver—Pammel, L.H., inventory list

undated

1

12

Correspondence, Carver—Zisslser, Alfred (photocopies)

1932-1941

1

13

Correspondence, Pammel, L.H. with others concerning Carver (photocopies)

1903-1928, undated

1

14

Correspondence, with others concerning Carver

1903-1965

5

1

Honorary Degree, Doctor of Human Letters, Iowa State University

1994

2

1

Iowa State University, Carver Hall dedication

1970

2

2

Iowa State University, celebrations

1988-1999

2

3

News clippings

1896-1942

2

4

News clippings

1943-1960

2

5

News clippings

1961-1992

2

6

News clippings

1993-2007

5 4 Newsletter - "Show Me Agriculture," children's educational information, state of Missouri 2000

2

7

Oral history interviews about Carver

1921-1987

2

8

Oral history interviews about Carver, with Curtis, Austin W.

1979

2

9

Oral history interviews about Carver, with Zissler, Alfred

1968

3

11

Peanut milk experiment and presentation by Mary Singleton

1991-2001

5 5 Photographs (2- 5x7", 1- 8x10" b/w prints) undated
5 6 Portrait - print of Carver painting by Youssef Asar; Art on Campus Collection 1999

Map

case

Posters

1911-2001

5 9 Presentation - "George Washington Carver: The Nation's First African American Green Scientist (A Brief Overview)" by Dana R. Chandler, Tuskegee University 2011

2

10

Publications by Carver

1893-1896

3

5

Publications by Carver while at Iowa State, includes photocopies of articles; commentary and synopses by Matthew Bailey

1892-1899, 2003

2

11

Publications by Carver, B.S. thesis: "Plants as Modified by Man"

1894

2

12

Publications by Carver, Bulletin # 31

1925 (1940)

2

13

Published material about Carver, bibliography and references

1943-1999, undated

3

14

Published material about Carver, Biography for Beginners: Inventors

2006

2

14

Published material about Carver, Congressional Record

1943, 1950

Map

case

Published material about Carver, Everybody Magazine

1978

2

15

Published material about Carver, television script, "The Forgotten Man"

1962

2

16

Research and product development

1926-1959

3

3

Students' Papers, Daggett, Ryan – "George Washington Carver"

2003

3

1

Students' Papers, Dekoster, Luke – "George Washington Carver: Faith in Science, " presented at the annual meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science

1999

3

6

Students' Papers, Fitzpatrick, Tom – "Hours with Carver Fondly Recalled"

undated

3

4

Students' Papers, Hetz, Regina – "Beyond Carver: The Legacy of African Americans at Iowa State University"

2003

3

12

Students' Papers, McMurray, Linda O. – "George Washington Carver and the Challenges of Biography"

1983

3

2

Students' Papers, Ritchie, James – "George Washington Carver: Slave. Scientist. Symbol."

ca 2000

2

17

Tuskegee Institute (University), George Washington Carver Foundation

1943-1976, undated

2

18

Tuskegee Institute (University), printed and published material

1910-1928, undated

5 7 Visions magazine - issue dedicated to Carver 1998

3

17

Writings about Carver, Hersey, Mark – "Hints and Suggestions to Farmers: George Washington Carver and Rural Conservation in the South"

2006

3

16

Writings about Carver, Hines, Linda O. – "White Mythology and Black Duality: George Washington Carver's Response to Racism and the Radical Left"

1977

3

15

Writings about Carver, Wendrick, Melvin F. – "Chicken Legs and Peanut Oil: A Memory of Dr. George Washington Carver"

2006

5 8 Writings about Carver - "Exploring the World of George Washington Carver," a collection of articles about and letters by Carver undated

3

7

Writings by Carver, "Legend of the Gourds," includes commentary

1894, 2004

 

Description of series

Series 2

George Washington Carver Materials Collected by Dana Johnson

1927-2005, undated

extent:

0.63 linear feet (1.5 document boxes)

description:

The series contains materials about Carver collected by Dana Johnson. Johnson first met Carver in 1930 while on a visit to Tuskegee Institute (University) with his brother Cecil. Cecil Johnson first met Carver the previous summer while working for the Tom Huston Peanut Company during which time Carver was hired as a consultant with the company. Carver invited Cecil to visit him at Tuskegee and Cecil accepted, bringing his brother Dana along. From that visit, Dana Johnson and Carver became good friends, corresponding regularly until Carver's death. Carver encouraged Johnson's artistic aspirations and though Johnson graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in engineering, he used that degree to get a job in the art supplies and pigment business.

 

The materials included in the series consist of writings by Johnson, correspondence with and about Carver, news clippings about Carver, and several articles by Carver. The collection contains several artifacts such as a blue dye created by Carver, paintings of Carver by Johnson, and an empty container of "Dr. Carver's Peanut Butter". The collection also has several videotapes with interviews of Johnson regarding his experiences with Carver and a recording of the Carver day program at the Carver National Monument.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

4

1

Article by Carver: "Can Live Stock Be Raised Profitably in Alabama?"

1936

4

2

Article by Carver: "How the Farmer Can Save His Sweet Potatoes"

1936

4

3

Article by Carver: "How to Make and Save Money on the Farm"

1927

Artifact collection

 

Artifacts: Ceramic mug and empty plastic container labeled "Dr. Carver's Creamy Peanut Butter" (Artifacts 2007-349.01 and 2007-349.02)

ca. 1990s

Artifact collection

 

Blue dye: Blue pigment in glass bottle labeled "Dr. Carver's Egyptian Blue 9th Oxidation" (Artifact 2007-349.03)

undated

4

4

Blue dye: Paint swatches

1935, 1942

Map

case

Image of Carver being greeted by President Franklin Roosevelt

1942

4

5

Letter to Johnson from Peter Burchard

2005

4

6

Letters between Johnson and Carver (photocopies)

1930-1942

4

7

Letters between Johnson and George Washing Carver National Monument personnel and others regarding Carver

1982-2002

4

8

Letters to Johnson about Carver

1943-1965

4

9

News clippings about Carver

1939-1996

4

10

News clippings about Carver

1977, undated

Vault

 

Paintings (2) of Carver by Johnson

undated

4

11

Photographs and images of Carver and Carver-related locations, also a photograph of Cecil Johnson (1- 3x4 b/w, 21- 3.5x5 color, 3- 4x6 color, and 13- 8x10 b/w photographs; 10 postcards; 1- 2x3 b/w negative)

1937-1990, undated

4

12

Printed materials about Carver

1930-1988, undated

Map

case

Printed materials about Carver: Calendar

1938

4

13

Printed materials about Carver National Monument and Tuskegee Institute

1988-1991, undated

4

14

Programs for events honoring Carver

1966-1991

4

15

Recording of Carver speaking and of some favorite music (1 CD)

undated

3

20

Videotape: Carver Day presentation at George Washington Carver National Monument, July 8 (1 VHS videotape)

1990

3

19

Videotapes: Interviews of Johnson on Channel 3 TV, Orange Co., California, and "Remembering George Washington Carver" (2 VHS videotapes)

ca. 1980s- 1991

4

16

Writings about Carver by Johnson

1981-2000, undated