CONGRESS HONORS BORLAUG, ‘FATHER OF THE GREEN REVOLUTION’

News Date October 06, 2009

The House of Representatives last week approved a resolution (H. Res 739) honoring the life and achievements of Dr. Norman E. Borlaug for his many contributions to alleviating world hunger.  The Senate approved a similar resolution earlier last month (S. Res 273).

Borlaug, known as the ‘Father of the Green Revolution’, is credited to have saved more than a billion lives through his breakthrough achievements in agricultural production.  Borlaug discovered a strain of wheat that exponentially increases higher crop yields while being resistant to disease. He spent majority of his life travelling the World educating underdeveloped countries on more effective farming methods.  Borlaug, a practical humanitarian, aspired to reduce poverty and malnutrition globally.

Borlaug was the only person working in agriculture to ever receive the Nobel Peace Prize along with numerous honors and awards such as the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Public Service Medal, the highest honor at the National Academy of Sciences, and the Rotary International Award for World Understanding and Peace, and the Congressional Gold Medal. 

In 1984 until the time of his death, Borlaug taught and researched at Texas A&M University. There he became a distinguished faculty member receiving an honorary doctorate while actively participating in international agriculture. "He has probably done more and is known by fewer people than anybody that has done that much," said Ed Runge, retired chair of Production Agriculture at Texas A&M.

Borlaug died of lymphoma at age 95 in his Dallas home on September 12, 2009.

Texas A&M University hosted a memorial service for Borlaug on October 6.   Dr. Robert Gates, U.S. Secretary of Defense; Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture; Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, a member of the Indian Parliament, and Yohei Sasakawa, chairman of the Nippon Foundation who worked personally with Dr. Borlaug to fight hunger in Africa were all scheduled to eulogize Borlaug.

The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, memorials be given to the Borlaug International Scholars Fund through the Texas A&M Foundation. (Contact: Preston Asay)