Dr. George Washington Carver was born
in 1864, the son of slaves, on the Moses Carver plantation near Diamond Grove, Missouri. He lost his father as an infant, and
at the age of six months was kidnapped by slave raiders. (He was later purchased back by his slave master). After the Civil War and Reconstruction, Dr. Carver enrolled in Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa, in
1890, studying music and art. He received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in agriculture
in 1894 and 1896 respectively. Dr. Carver was not only the first African American to enroll as a student at Iowa State,
but was also the first Black to join the faculty. In 1895, he was the assistant botanist in the Experiment Station and
worked there until the following year, when Booker T. Washington asked him to join the staff at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.
At Tuskegee, Dr. Carver organized the Agricultural Department, planned the first agricultural building, taught classes in
chemistry and botany and conducted research. He served as Director of Agriculture, became the first director of the
Agricultural Research and Experiment Station and head of the Department of Research. His work led to the creation of
over 300 products from peanuts and more than 100 products from sweet potatoes. He also developed
many products for the state of Alabama from: clay, cotton, soybeans, pecans, wood shavings, and waste materials. The peanut contains about 28 percent protein, 50 percent oil, 18 percent carbohydrates, and 4 percent ash.
Peanut products are used in food processing as well as animal feed products made from the shell and from the residues left
after oil pressing. Plants left in the ground provide excellent forage for cattle and swine, and are also valuable as
a green manure.
Dr. Austin W. Curtis
Dr. Austin
Curtis received his Ph.D. from Cornell University. Dr.
Curtis was on staff at North Carolina A&T when he was asked to work with Dr. Carver at Tuskegee. In 1935,
Dr. Curtis arrived at Tuskegee in September. Soon after his arrival Dr. Carver
wrote to Dr. Curtis' father and said, "He seems to me more like a son than a person who had just come to work for me". For the next eight years Dr. Curtis worked with Dr. Carver researching peanut products and
sweet potato starch. Dr. Carver respected Dr. Curtis so much that he renamed one of his famous inventions, Dr. George
Washington Carver Rubbing Oil, after Dr. Curtis and called it Dr. Curtis Rubbing Oil. In 1943 Dr. Carver died and
Dr. Curtis helped to establish the George Washington Carver Research Foundation and the Carver Museum at Tuskegee Institute.
Dr. Curtis moved to Detroit in 1944 to organize Curtis Laboratories and created 60 different products made from natural and
organic sources. In 1999 Dr. A. W. Curtis turned over the ownership and manufacturing rights of his work with Dr. George
Washington Carver to Reverend Bennie L. Thayer, Chairman of the Board for Natural Health Options, Inc. In 2000 Rev.
Thayer turned over manufacturing and ownership of Curtis Products to Dr. E. Faye Williams, the current owner. Dr. Curtis
died in 2003 at his daughter's home in Culver City, California, Dr. Austin W. Curtis was often referred to as "Baby
Carver" for his own notable achievements.
Elements 4 Nature
Carver Legacy
Dr. Carver & Dr. Curtis working in Tuskegee Lab
MilBank Agricultural Building at Tuskegee University
Booker T. Washington's house (The Oaks) at Tuskegee
Booker T. Washington, founder of Tuskegee Institute Normal College, hired Dr. George Washington Carver in 1896. Tuskegee
Normal Institute College's name evolved to the current name Tuskegee University.
Commemorative Coins
Carver/Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington
Carver was the first to mix peanuts and
peanut butter with chocolate. Carver wrote a Bulletin in 1916 called "How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing
it for Human Consumption". The Bulletin was revised in 1925. Later that year in 1925, Hershey came out with
the Mr.Goodbar. In 1928, Hershey came out with the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
Journey
Through the Secret
Life of Plants (Audio 2CD Set)
$30.00
Facts on George Washington Carver
Dr. George Washington Carver
Dr. George Washington Carver,
the revolutionary scientist, discovered numerous products from the peanut during his research at Tuskegee Institute now called Tuskegee University.
Dr. Carver was the first to mix peanuts with chocolate. The Mr. Goodbar should be called the
Dr. Carver Bar! In addition to the food related products, Dr. Carver also produced products for the body. Dr.
George Washington Carver and Dr. A.W. Curtis are the inventors of products that Elements
4 Nature (E4N) currently sells: the Dr.
Carver & Curtis Legacy 2 Legand Hair Care line of products, Sage
& Sulphur Hair Conditioner, S&H Conditioner and the Dr. George Washington Carver Rubbing Oil. Dr. Carver & Dr. Curtis made numerous products together. E4N goals are to re-introduce more products that Dr. Carver & Dr. Curtis developed together.
