Description

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George Washington Carver (1864-1943) is best known for developing new uses for agricultural crops and teaching methods of soil improvement to southern farmers. This annotated selection of his letters and other writings from the collections at the Tuskegee Institute and the George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond, Missouri, reveals the forces that shaped his creative genius—including the influence of persistent racism. His letters also show us Carver’s deep love for his fellow man, whether manifested in his efforts to treat polio victims in the 1930s or in his emotionally charged friendships that lasted a lifetime.
 
With a new chapter on the oral history interviews Dr. Kremer conducted (several years after publication of the first edition) with people who knew Carver personally, and the addition of newly uncovered documents and a bank of impressive photographs of Carver and some of his friends, this second edition of our classic title commemorates the 75th anniversary of Carver’s death on January 5, 2018.
 

About the Author

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Gary R. Kremer is the Executive Director of The State Historical Society of Missouri and a scholar of African American history. He is the author of several books on the topic, including Race and Meaning: The African American Experience in Missouri. He lives in Jefferson City, Missouri.
 

Praise For…

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“Kremer’s background and transitional comments, along with Carver’s writings, succeed in bringing Carver to life; helping readers to encounter, empathize with, and appreciate this complex, often contradictory man.”―The Journal of Southern History, for the first edition

“In this revised and updated edition of his now-classic collection of George Washington Carver's writings, Gary Kremer distills decades' worth of research on the Tuskegee scientist into perceptive editorial notes that frame the context for the judiciously selected documents. The Carver who emerges from In His Own Words is more complicated, human, and admirable than the two-dimensional caricatures of the man that persist in the public imagination. A must-read for anyone interested in George Washington Carver.”―Mark D. Hersey, Mississippi State University, author of My Work Is That of Conservation: An Environmental Biography of George Washington Carver

“Offers unique insights into a genius scientist who tirelessly applied his talents to improve the well-being of others.”—Midwest Book Review