“Reach for the stars. Although you will never touch them, you may get a little stardust on your hands.” 
- Dr. Norman Borlaug

    Even after becoming a world-renowned plant scientist, after winning the Nobel Peace Prize, the World Food Prize and the Congressional Medal and after being credited with saving more lives than any other person in history, Dr. Norman Borlaug, never forgot his Howard County roots.
    Borlaug, who died in his Dallas home Sept. 12 at age 95 due to complications from cancer, grew up on a rural Howard County farm a few miles west of Protivin.
    Borlaug, known as the father of the Green Revolution, has been said to have saved more lives than any man in history thanks to his work in plant breeding. The Green Revolution was a time when drastically increased crop yields over a short period of years helped alleviate world hunger. Among the work he is most widely recognized for was his development of disease-resistant, high-yielding varieties of wheat that produced far more grain than other varieties being grown at the time.
    Borlaug was born on March 25, 1914 to parents, Henry and Clara Borlaug. He grew up on an 105-acre Howard County farm in the rural community of Saude alongside his two sisters, Charlotte, and the late Palma.
    He graduated from Cresco High School in 1932 and soon went on to the University of Minnesota where he received his bachelor's and master’s degrees and a Ph.D in plant pathology and genetics. He worked in forestry and microbiology for several years before he started his work developing crops that increased yields and resisted disease.   
    In 1944, he began work as a geneticist and plant pathologist with the Rockefeller Foundation, in cooperation with the Mexican government, where he was assigned to direct the Cooperative Wheat Research and Production Program in Mexico. It was during this period that Dr. Borlaug devoted most of his efforts to wheat research and production problems. In 1959, he was named director of the Wheat Program of the International Center for Maize and Wheat Improvement Center.
    He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work to feed the world.
    In 1986, Borlaug founded the World Food Prize, based in Des Moines. The World Food Prize is an award of $250,000 that is annually given to a person working to improve the world’s food supply.
    In 2007, Borlaug received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor awarded by Congress.
    Borlaug is one of only five people in the world to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. The other four recipients are Nelson Mandela, Elie Wiesel, Mother Teresa and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
    He has received many other honors and recognitions throughout his life, formed relationships with leaders from countries around the world and helped save millions from hunger, but he never forgot where he grew up.
    Tom Spindler, of Cresco, is the president of the Norman Borlaug Heritage Foundation, a group of area residents devoted to preserving and maintaining the Borlaug Boyhood Home and Childhood Farm as well as educating the public about Borlaug’s contributions to world hunger, says the Nobel Peace Prize winner continued to visit the farm where he grew up every few years throughout his life.
    Even into his 90s, Borlaug continued to visit his hometown when his health allowed him to.
    The salute to Dr. Borlaug recognizing him for receiving the Congressional Gold Medal that was held nearly two years ago was the last time Cresco’s famous son visited his boyhood farmstead, located about a dozen miles southwest of Cresco.
    Prior to the “homecoming” banquet held at The Mint in Protivin that fall, a news conference was held at the boyhood farm, which is owned by the Norman Borlaug Heritage Foundation. It was at this news conference where Dr. Borlaug disclosed his humorous side.
    Facing nearly a dozen TV and newspaper cameras and reporters as he sat in his grandfather’s rocking chair in the living room of the home, Dr. Borlaug was asked if there was anything he wanted to accomplish in his life but hadn’t.
    While we all waited for some words of wisdom about world hunger, overpopulation and the need for increased crop production, this gentle man said, “Yes, I always wanted to play second base for the Chicago Cubs.”
    The room erupted in laughter.
    Dr. Borlaug significantly helped the locally-run Norman Borlaug Heritage Foundation with fundraising for preservation and education purposes.
    “He was the foundation’s biggest contributor,” Spindler said. “Over the years he’s donated thousands and thousands of dollars.”
    Spindler had the opportunity to meet Dr. Borlaug three times. The last was in 2007. Each time, Borlaug’s kind-hearted and hard-working nature was apparent.
    “All of us that are citizens of this area can take pride that he’s from here,” Spindler said. “He was the most impressive man I ever met. The spirit that he had and the passion he had, it rubs off and makes you want to do better.”
    Even while battling cancer in his 90s, Borlaug continued his work to fight world hunger.
    “It bugged him that his health was not allowing him to work,” Spindler said.
    The Norman Borlaug Heritage Foundation received many expressions of sympathy following the death of Dr. Borlaug. Ted Behrens, founding chair of the foundation, shared a note of sympathy he received from Dr. MP Sukumaran Nair, PhD, the special secretary to the Chief Minister of the Government of Kerala in India.
    “It is with profound sorrow that we came to know about the sad demise of Dr. Norman Borlaug. He was a great human being, a friend of all nations and people, a true practitioner of science and technology with the ultimate object of bettering humanity. He was a good friend of India and our efforts to attain food security owes much to his contributions and personal interventions.
    “His life and work will continue to stimulate and inspire future generations all over the world to address the several issues confronting us with the support of science and technology to make this world a better place for all of us,” Dr. Nair’s letter read.
    Similar outpourings of sympathy for Borlaug’s death and admiration for his life’s achievements echoed from countries all over the world, including regions his work affected deeply like Africa, Mexico, the Middle East, Asia and South America.
    Iowa Congressmen and Senators also shared their sympathy and thoughts.
    “Dr. Norman Borlaug’s work and vision changed the world. He personified the Iowa values of hard work and innovation, and his fight against world hunger will continue to improve lives around the globe for generations to come.  It was a great pleasure and honor to call Dr. Borlaug a friend, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family,” said Congressman Tom Latham.
    In August, Iowa’s two U.S. Senators, Charles Grassley and Tom Harkin, introduced legislation to declare the Borlaug’s birthplace and childhood home as a National Historic Site. The site is currently maintained by the Norman Borlaug Heritage Foundation.
  “Dr. Borlaug and his work to save the lives of hundreds of millions people are historically significant for Iowa,” Grassley said. “By designating his birthplace and boyhood home a National Historic Site, we’ll be preserving his legacy for years to come and continuing to inspire future generations of scientists and farmers to innovate and lift those mired in poverty.”
    “Dr. Borlaug epitomizes values Iowans hold dear – ingenuity, determination, and a commitment to helping others. His life is a perfect illustration of the fact that one person really can make a difference. All Iowans can take pride in and draw inspiration from the extraordinary life of Dr. Norman Borlaug,” said Harkin. “The Norman Borlaug Birthplace and Home National Historic Site bill is a fitting tribute to a man who has done so much to improve the lives of millions of people throughout the world.”
    Although Dr. Borlaug has died, his legacy will live on in Howard County and around the world.
    “He has laid a very broad foundation for a network to fight hunger,” Spindler said. “His lasting legacy is he’s got the ball rolling. Just because he’s gone it can’t end. It’s got to continue.”
    A memorial service will be held for Borlaug on Oct. 6 at Texas A&M University. A local tribute to Dr. Borlaug will be held at 5 p.m. this Friday at the Borlaug statue in Beadle Park. The community is invited to attend.