George Washington Carver In Tulsa

Born into slavery, George Washington Carver became one of the most prestigious scientists of his time, revolutionizing the research methods and agricultural processes of the day.

Breaking racial barriers in his own education, he became the first African American faculty member at Iowa State University, and later joined Alabama’s Tuskegee Institute. He received many honors and awards in his lifetime, including a museum at the Tuskegee Institute and a national monument at his birthplace in Diamond Grove, Missouri.

In May 1929, George Washington Carver attended the dedication ceremony for the junior high school bearing his name in Tulsa, Oklahoma. More than three thousand citizens, black and white, were present.

The meek and gentle Carver, when he saw the Carver School’s magnificence, felt awe. He said it made him feel unworthy—more than any honor he’d received before. In his speech, he made a point he hoped would help the youths in Carver Junior High and all who came to hear him speak: We each determine how our lives proceed, by choices that we make.

Images are copyright of The Oklahoma State Senate Historical Preservation Fund, Inc. and the artist. Please contact Matt Duehning at 405-524-0126 or Matt.Duehning@oksenate.gov for further copyright information.