George Washington Carver
Photograph circa 1910
Born	1860s Diamond, Missouri, U.S.
Died	January 5, 1943 (about 79 years old) Tuskegee, Alabama, U.S.
Alma mater	Iowa State University
Awards	Spingarn Medal (1923)

George Washington Carver (c. January 1860 – January 5, 1943) was an American educator, botanist (someone who works with plants), and inventor. He is best known for his work with peanuts, sweet potatoes, and other crops.

Carver's reputation is based on his research into and promotion of alternative crops to cotton, such as peanuts, soybeans and sweet potatoes, which also aided nutrition for farm families. He wanted poor farmers to grow alternative crops both as a source of their own food and as a source of other products to improve their quality of life.