George Washington Carver National Monument

George Washington Carver was a scientist, educator, and humanitarian. His work with agricultural science made him the most prominent black scientist of the 20th century. The George Washington Carver National Monument is located in Diamond, Missouri which is just a short drive away from our dealership in Joplin, Missouri. The George Washington Carver National Monument is filled with history, encouragement, and inspiration that developed from the life of George Washington Carver. It’s a fantastic attraction that you do not want to miss out on.

George Washington Carver was born into slavery in the 1860s in Diamond, Missouri. When George was only a week old, he was kidnapped by night raiders along with his sister and mother. He was only one to be located but by grade school age, public schools were segregated in Diamond Grove (Diamond, Missouri) so he had to travel 10 miles to go to school in Neosho. After facing many trials, he earned his diploma at Minneapolis High School in Minneapolis, Kansas.

After being denied attendance at other colleges, Carver found himself as the first black student at Iowa State University. His love of agriculture shined as he studied here and his professors took note. His Bachelor’s thesis for a degree in Agriculture was “Plants as Modified by Man”, dated in 1894. He took his expertise and was invited to head the Agriculture Department at Tuskegee Institute (now University).

While he was a professor at Tuskegee, he developed techniques to improve soils that were depleted of nutrients from the repeated plantings of cotton. Carver wanted to improve the lives of poor farmers by being able to help them grow alternative crops such as peanuts and sweet potatoes. This would allow them to have their own source of food.

Not only did he work in improving the lives of farmers but he also was a leader in promoting environmentalism. Carver had much recognition including the Spingarn Medal of the NAACP. In this time of racial polarization, Carver’s fame stretched beyond the black community and was praised by all for his work. In a 1941 edition of Time magazine, he was dubbed a “Black Leonardo.”

If you’re looking for a great attraction to learn more about the history of an influential man of history right here in southwest Missouri, do yourself a favor and visit the George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond, Missouri!