AMES, Iowa – A Norman Borlaug statue will be unveiled at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. on March 25 to commemorate Borlaug's legacy and celebrate his 100th birthday.
Borlaug, who was born in Cresco, Iowa, dedicated his life to breeding better varieties of wheat and working with farmers to alleviate hunger and malnutrition worldwide until his death in 2009. His achievements earned him recognition as “Father of the Green Revolution.” He also received the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal, America’s highest civilian honor.
Iowa State University students attending the ceremony will include Brian Castro, a senior in nutritional science, Trisha Collins, a senior in animal science, and Ali El-sadiq, a freshman in global resource systems. They will be attending the ceremony with Wendy Wintersteen, Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences dean, and David Acker, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences associate dean of academic and global programs.
“This unveiling will introduce others to Norman Borlaug and help them understand how his work contributed to saving millions of lives throughout the world,” Acker said. “Borlaug was an extraordinary teacher who had a sincere and powerful commitment to educating the next generation of scientists and development professionals.”
The statue of Borlaug will be part of the National Statuary Hall Collection at the U.S. Capitol Building, which houses two statues of notable citizens from each state. The statue of Borlaug will replace the statue of U.S. Sen. James Harlan installed in 1910, which will be relocated to Mount Pleasant, Iowa. The second Iowa statue is of Gov. Samuel Kirkwood, which was installed in 1913.
The World Food Prize in Des Moines also will host events in its Hall of Laureates, which is located at 100 Locust St., from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Events include a live webcast, birthday cake and access to a new interactive educational exhibit. Live links to the Washington D.C. ceremony will be viewable at 10 a.m. at www.Speaker.gov/live.