George Washington Carver (1864-1943) Inducted - Tuesday, March 29, 1983 Sculptor: William J. Williams Where is George Washington Carver in the Hall of Famous Missourians? Born in Diamond, Mo, in 1864, George Washington Carver triumphed over a life of slavery to achieve international fame as a scientist, botanist and educator. In the Reconstruction South, an agricultural monoculture of cotton depleted the soil, and in the early 20th century, the boll weevil destroyed much of the cotton crop. Carver's work on peanuts was intended to provide an alternative crop.Through intensive research, he developed more than 300 by-products from the peanut and sweet potato. He is also known for his work in the fields of soil fertilization and crop diversification. Carver was the first chair of the Department of Agriculture at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. To commemorate his life and inventions, George Washington Carver Recognition Day is celebrated on January 5, the anniversary of Carver's death.