1. George Washington Carver ( 1864 – 1943)
George Washington Carver, also known as the “Father of the Peanut Industry,” was an agricultural scientist and inventor. One of his professors, Etta Budd, encouraged him to apply to the Iowa State Agricultural School to study botany. Taking that step, Carver became the first African American to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in 1894.
Today, he is known to have invented more than 300 different ways of using peanuts; including flour, milk, soap, dyes, and many more. He also helped invent many agricultural methods to prevent soil depletion.
Carver received many awards such as the Fellow of the Royal Society in London, the Roosevelt Medal, the Humanitarian Award, and Honorary doctorate degrees.
