Scientist, painter, athletic trainer, poet, professor and renowned agriculturist were just a few of the roles of ISU alumnus George Washington Carver.

In addition to his many accomplishments, Carver is also the newest recipient of the Iowa Award.

The award was presented in his honor by Gov. Tom Vilsack in a ceremony at the Memorial Union Wednesday. Thomas Hill, vice president for Student Affairs, presided as the master of ceremonies and introduced the speakers who had come to honor the late researcher.

R. Kevin LaGree, Simpson College president, spoke to more than 200 people in the Sun Room about Carver’s reception in Iowa.

“We welcomed him, took him in, nurtured him and educated him,” LaGree said. “Because of the generosity and openness of Iowans, George Washington Carver changed the world.”

Ronke Lattimore Tapp, former Carver Scholar and temporary assistant professor of psychology, accepted the award in Carver’s honor.

“It’s an honor for every student of color who has the opportunity to study at universities like Iowa State,” Tapp said.

The award is also an honor for all students who benefit from studying at diverse universities, she said.

Tapp then presented the Iowa Award to William N. Jackson, George Washington Carver National Monument superintendent.

The award will be displayed at the monument in Diamond, Mo.

Audience members learned of the hurdles Carver overcame in obtaining his education in an afternoon play. These difficulties subsided with Carver’s enrollment in Simpson College and later Iowa State.

“I just knew about him in relation to Tuskegee University,” said Elizabeth Johnson of Ames. “It was really quite an education to come today.”

ISU alumnus Paxton Williams reprised his role as Carver in a one-man play.

The performance spanned Carver’s life, from his birth into slavery to his acclaim in the world of science.

“Dr. Carver’s commitment to service really inspired me,” Williams said. “He faced great obstacles.”

Following the performance, a panel discussed Carver’s legacy and its long-term effects on Iowa State and society.

Sande McNabb, panelist and university professor of plant pathology, was both a member of the panel and chairman of the committee that planned the events of the day.

“Iowa was an important place in his legacy,” McNabb said. “People here were very kind to him and proved to him he was an individual and that he could succeed if he persevered.”

Williams expressed similar sentiments in his play, during which he explained how others hadn’t understood Carver’s childhood garden.

“They didn’t understand the difference a little care could make to a flower,” Williams said.