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George Washington Carver Quotes

Quotes from Dr. Carver on. . .

Divine Love
“How my very soul goes out to people who have not found the first principle of true happiness and Divine love, which must rule the world.”

Sense of Discovery
“Never since have I been without this consciousness of the Creator speaking to me through flowers, rocks, animals, plants, and all other aspects of His creation.

“Waste Not, Want Not“

‘Take care of the waste on the farm and turn it into useful channels’  should be the slogan of every farmer.

“Inter-Racial Harmony
“We are brothers, all of us, no matter what race or color or condition; children of the same Heavenly Father. We rise together or we fall together.“

Benevolence
“The primary idea in all of my work was to help the farmer and fill the poor man’s empty dinner pail. . . My idea is to help the ‘man farthest down’, this is why I have made every process just as simply as I could to put it within his reach.”

Inspiration
“I am trying to get our people to see that their color does not hold them back as much as they think.”

Seeking Answers
“This old notion of swallowing down other people’s ideas and problems just as they have worked them out without putting our brain and originality into it and making them applicable to our specific needs must go, and the sooner we let them go the sooner we will be a free and independent people.”

Humility
“It is impossible for me to tell you how astonished I was yesterday to get a copy of the November issue of Junior Red Cross Journal bearing the illuminating article on “The Sage of Tuskegee”.
As I read it an number of times I forgot that it was about myself. In fact, the story is so beautifully and interestingly written that it is hard for me to believe that it is about me, I lose that part of it.”

…On God and Nature
“I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting system, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.”

On the Value of the Familiar
“Look about you. Take hold of the things that are here. Let them talk to you. You learn to talk to them.”

On Success
“It is not the style of clothes one wears, neither the kind of automobile one drives, nor the amount of money one has in the bank, that counts. These mean nothing. It is simply service that measures success.”

On Common Things
“Learn to do common things uncommonly well; we must always keep in mind that anything that helps fill the dinner pail is valuable.”

On Preparation for Life
“There is no short cut to achievement. Life requires thorough preparation — veneer isn’t worth anything.”

On Patenting His Discoveries
“One reason I never patent my products is that if I did it would take so much time, I would get nothing else done. But mainly I don’t want my discoveries to benefit specific favored persons.”

Christian Faith
“I never have to grope for methods. The method is revealed at the moment I am inspired to create something new. . . Without God to draw aside the curtain I would be helpless.”

Dr. Carver’s Prayers
“May God ever bless, keep, guide, and continue to prosper you in your uplifting work for humanity, be it great or small, is my daily prayer. And may those whom he has redeemed learn to walk with Him not only daily or hourly, but momently through the things he has created.”

“My Prayers seem to be more of an attitude than anything else. I indulge in very little lip service, but ask the Great Creator silently daily, and often many times per day to permit me to speak to him through the three great Kingdoms of the world, which he has created, viz.– the Animal, Mineral, and Vegetable Kingdoms; their relations to each other, to us, our relations to them and the Great God who made all of us. I ask him daily and often momently to give me wisdom, understanding and bodily strength to do His will, hence I am asking and receiving all the time.”

“Marvel of marvels, how I wish I had you in God’s little workshop for a while, how your soul would be thrilled and lifted up.”“We are the architects of our own fortune and the hewers of our own destiny.”

“Ye shall know science and science shall make you free.”“Ye know full well that we see in people and animate things just about what we are looking for.”

“From a child I had an inordinate desire for knowledge, and especially music, painting, and the science of Algebra being all of my favorite studies.”

“I never saw anybody doing anything with his hands that I couldn’t do with mine.”

“God is going to reveal to us things He never revealed before if we put our hands in His. No books ever go into my laboratory. The thing I am to do and the way of doing it are revealed to me.”

“My work, my life must be in spirit of a little child seeking only to know the truth and follow it.”

“I am no great person. I am no great scientist. I have only been able to point the way in a few things. After me will come those who read and interpret the signs, the great of the world. I am only the trailblazer.”

“If I know the answer you can have it for the price of a postage stamp. The Lord charges nothing for knowledge, and I will charge you the same.”Day after day I spent in the woods alone in order to collect my floral beauties, and put them in my little garden I had hidden in brush not far from the house, as it was considered foolishness in the neighborhood to waste time on flowers.”

“Many are the tears I have shed because I would break the roots or flowers of some of my pets while removing them from the ground, and strange to say all sorts of vegetation seemed to thrive under my touch until I was styled the plant doctor.”

When questioned about college by Susan Carver, George replied, “No man has enough learning, Aunt Sue, and me, I’m still trying to find out what makes it rain and why sunflowers grow so tall.”

“Where there is no vision, there is no hope.”

First among Dr. Carver’s list of discoveries was the peanut, a restorer of worn-out soil. He developed over 300 uses for the peanut. Later, Dr. Carver told the story behind the discovery of peanut by-products.  He asked the Great Creator, “Dear Mr. Creator, please tell me what the universe was made for.” The Great Creator answered, “You want to know too much for that little mind of yours. Ask for something more your size.” Then he asked, “Dear Mr. Creator, tell me what man was made for.” Again the Great Creator replied, “Little man you still are asking too much. Cut down the extent of your request and improve the intent.” So then he asked, ” Please Mr. Creator, will you tell me why the peanut was made?”

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