8 Lasting Impact

Chapter 8 Lasting Impact George was never interested in personal glory, but his work with peanuts made him famous. In 1921, he took a train to Washington, DC, to talk to Congress about the peanut industry. George was supposed to give a ten-minute talk. But when his ten minutes were up, the politicians gave him another ten minutes. And when those ten minutes were up, they told him to talk for as long as he needed! George pulled samples out of a box to show different ways peanuts could be used: in milk, breakfast foods, oils, and more. Texas congressman John N. Garner, who later became vice president of the United States, called it "a most wonderful exhibition." Congress passed a law that helped the peanut industry. After that, George wrote newspaper and magazine articles about the peanut industry, and he advised companies that produced peanuts.

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He also continued working at Tuskegee. He no longer taught classes, but focused on his work in the laboratory instead. He came to be known as a "creative chemist"—a scientist who remakes a product, such as peanuts in George's case, for different uses. He received awards from organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He also began working with the United States Department of Agriculture to help identify and prevent plant diseases in the South. Though he discovered hundreds of nonfood uses for the peanut, and many for the sweet potato, too, none of George's products were sold to the public. George's goal was never to get rich, though. He rarely spent the money he did make, unless it was to help a former student who needed a loan. He was known for wearing the same old clothes day after day.

Even after he began receiving awards and honors for his work, George wanted to find ways to help people. He still taught his weekly Bible study class, and he always was willing to help any student in need. He was like a second father to many of them and offered sound words of advice.

THE WISDOM OF GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER "HOW FAR YOU GO IN LIFE DEPENDS ON YOUR BEING TENDER WITH THE YOUNG, COMPASSIONATE WITH THE AGED, SYMPATHETIC WITH THE STRIVING, AND TOLERANT OF THE WEAK AND STRONG. BECAUSE SOMEDAY IN YOUR LIFE YOU WILL HAVE BEEN ALL OF THESE." "WHEN YOU CAN DO THE COMMON THINGS OF LIFE IN AN UNCOMMON WAY, YOU WILL COMMAND THE ATTENTION OF THE WORLD." "START WHERE YOU ARE WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. MAKE SOMETHING OF IT AND NEVER BE SATISFIED." "EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO UNLOCK THE GOLDEN DOOR OF FREEDOM." "READING ABOUT NATURE IS FINE, BUT IF A PERSON WALKS IN THE WOODS AND LISTENS CAREFULLY, HE CAN

LEARN MORE THAN WHAT IS IN BOOKS." "NINETY-NINE PERCENT OF THE FAILURES COME FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE HABIT OF MAKING EXCUSES."