Norman Borlaug Statue to be installed in US Capitol on March 25
The World Food Prize launches interactive
Borlaug Centennial Map and urges everyone to
populate it to illustrate global hunger-fighting efforts
Officials last week announced that the State of Iowa will install a bronze statue of Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, the famous agricultural scientist and humanitarian and founder of The World Food Prize, in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 25, the 100th anniversary of Dr. Borlaug's birth.
"The unveiling will be a historic event and celebration of Dr. Borlaug's legacy. His agricultural innovations saved an estimated billion people around the world from hunger and starvation," said Iowa Governor Terry Branstad at a
press event last Wednesday. "It is a fitting tribute that our state and nation will honor Dr. Borlaug on the 100th anniversary of his birth and on National Agriculture Day."
Dr. Borlaug, a Cresco, Iowa, native, dedicated his life to breeding better varieties of wheat, and working with farmers and politicians alike to improve methods and policies to alleviate hunger and malnutrition worldwide. His achievements earned him recognition as "Father of the Green Revolution" and the distinction of receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Congressional Gold Medal, America's highest civilian honor.
"From our decade of working together, I knew Dr. Borlaug - our state's and our country's greatest agricultural scientist - to be the most humble, hard-working and inspiring person I ever encountered," said Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, President of Borlaug's World Food Prize Foundation and the Chairman of the Borlaug Statue Committee. "At The World Food Prize, his legacy lives on through our annual prize, our symposium, and our youth programs, and now with a new website to honor Dr. Borlaug, we hope to engage thousands of people around the globe to help fight hunger."
The World Food Prize has launched an
interactive website where visitors can post what they'll do this year in honor of the Borlaug Centennial to help feed the world, and find resources about Dr. Borlaug and on ways to fight hunger locally and worldwide. In addition, The World Food Prize and other organizations worldwide will host several activities and events throughout the year to honor Borlaug. See an evolving list
here.
Each state is represented by two statues of notable citizens in the National Statuary Hall Collection at the U.S. Capitol Building. The statue of Borlaug will replace the statue of U.S. Senator James Harlan installed in 1910, which will be relocated to Mount Pleasant, Iowa. The second statue representing Iowa is of Governor Samuel Kirkwood, which was installed in 1913.