Elements 4 Nature

George Washington Carver's Legacy

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, George Washington 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. 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, 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 received his Ph.D. from Cornell University. Dr. Curtis was on staff at North Carolina A&T when he was asked to work with George Washington Carver at Tuskegee. In 1935, Dr. Curtis arrived at Tuskegee in September. Soon after his arrival 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 Carver researching peanut products and sweet potato starch. Carver respected Dr. Curtis so much that he renamed one of his famous inventions, George Washington Carver Rubbing Oil, after Dr. Curtis and called it Dr. Curtis Rubbing Oil. In 1943 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 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.

Carver's Peanut Video Clip

Carver & Booker T. Washington

Booker T. Washington, founder of Tuskegee Institute Normal College, hired George Washington Carver in 1896. Tuskegee Normal Institute College's name evolved to the current name of Tuskegee University.

Listen to Carver's Audio of him Accepting an Award

Carver created over 300 products from the Peanut

George Washington Carver, the revolutionary scientist, discovered numerous products from the peanut during his research at Tuskegee Institute now called Tuskegee University. In addition to the food related products, Carver also produced products for the body. George Washington Carver and Dr. A.W. Curtis are the inventors of products that Elements 4 Nature (E4N) currently sells. George Washington Carver & Dr. Curtis made numerous products together.

Mr. Goodbar was created as a result of Carver's discovery

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.