USDA Names Building Complex to Honor Dr. George Washington Carver; Scientist's Legacy of Innovation Continues at Tuskegee University

    BELTSVILLE, Md., Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan
 Glickman named a new building complex for Dr. George Washington Carver today.
 The George Washington Carver Center will encompass four buildings on the USDA
 campus in Beltsville, MD, which will house government offices and a medical
 center.
     "This is a significant day for Tuskegee University," said the University's
 President Dr. Benjamin F. Payton, who joined Secretary Glickman at the
 dedication.  "George Washington Carver was an outstanding educator and one of
 the most prolific scientists in American history.  His visionary research at
 our institution revolutionized modern agriculture."
     "Today, Dr. Carver's spirit still guides the University's philosophy and
 its work."  Dr. Payton referred to Tuskegee's exhibit, "We continue his
 academic legacy by providing students with the finest educational
 opportunities in science and technology. Dr. Carver's work is also leading us
 into the future, and at this moment our scientists are literally on the
 cutting edge of research in biotechnology and space agriculture."
     With a grant from NASA, Tuskegee University is developing agricultural
 systems that will allow humans to live in outer space.  The challenge is to
 create crops that are nutritious, compact, and that can recycle wastes.  The
 peanut and sweet potato, two direct descendants of George Washington Carver's
 pioneering work, have already been studied on Space Shuttle missions.
     Tuskegee University's exhibit  will be on view today (from 9-noon) and
 tomorrow (from 2-5 PM) on the grounds near the complex.  The exhibit houses
 interactive displays that highlight the university's research with sweet
 potatoes and peanuts that are direct outcomes of Carver's pioneering studies.
     Tuskegee University was founded in 1881 by Booker T. Washington and
 currently enrolls more than 3,000 students from 42 states, the District of
 Columbia, and 34 foreign countries.  An historically African American
 university, Tuskegee University has produced generations of outstanding
 graduates across an array of academic disciplines.  Through its students, the
 University has made distinct contributions in the life and physical sciences,
 the biomedical sciences (including nursing, allied health, and veterinary
 medicine), engineering, agriculture, the food sciences, education, and
 business.
     Tuskegee University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the
 Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.  It is authorized to offer
 degrees at the doctoral, master's, and bachelor's levels.  All professional
 programs are accredited by national agencies.  It is the only Historically
 Black College or University to offer the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree
 and the Ph.D. degree in Materials Science and Engineering.
 
     Note to Editor: Dr. Payton available for interviews. Photos of Carver,
 Tuskegee University, and Payton available.
 
 

SOURCE  Tuskegee University