George Washington Carver was born a slave here on the farm of Moses and Susan Carver near Joplin, Missouri. Carver has been recognized for his contribution to agriculture, including most notably his work around peanuts. Carver saw peanuts as an alternative to king cotton in the south, diversifying crops to introduce the soil-enhancing peanuts. He later attended Iowa State Agricultural college and Tuskegee University where his research found 325 uses for peanuts.