Des Moines Register
02/14/06
Borlaug wins Medal of Science
The Cresco native is lauded for helping to feed millions via his
work in plant genetics and ag training.
By PHILIP BRASHER
REGISTER WASHINGTON BUREAU
Washington, D.C. — Nobel Peace Prize. Presidential Medal of Freedom. Now,
Norman Borlaug, the Iowa native credited with saving hundreds of millions of
lives through his work in plant breeding, is a winner of the National Medal of
Science.
President Bush presented the honor to Borlaug, a one-time farm boy from
Cresco, and seven other scientists Monday at a ceremony in the White House
East Room. National Medals of Technology also were presented.
Borlaug's citation, read by a military aide, said his improvements in wheat
genetics and training of poor farmers provided a "new, high-quality food source
for millions of people around the world."
Many of Borlaug's previous honors, notably the Nobel Peace Prize, focused on
the humanitarian achievement of bringing on what is known as the Green
Revolution.
The latest honor is special, said Borlaug, because it recognized the scientific
work "that was behind the Green Revolution."
Borlaug, 91, continues to travel widely and is an outspoken supporter, as is the
Bush administration, of using agricultural biotechnology to address lingering
problems of hunger and malnutrition worldwide. India, one of the biggest
beneficiaries of Borlaug's work in the 1960s, recently awarded Borlaug its
second-highest honor.
The science medal "is very appropriate, given the scientific breakthroughs he
achieved during the Green Revolution but also his commitment and involvement
with biotechnology," said Kenneth Quinn, president of the Des Moines-based
World Food Prize Foundation.
Borlaug founded the World Food Prize to recognize people who had made
achievements in food production.
Iowans who have received the National Medal of Science include:
• Jay Lush, a professor of animal breeding at Iowa State University.
• James Van Allen, a University of Iowa professor who was a pioneer in the
space program.
• Leo Beranek, a Solon native who was an important figure in the development of
the Internet.
• Nancy Andreasen, a University of Iowa professor known for her research into
brain function and abnormalities.
Borlaug is a distinguished professor of international agriculture at Texas A & M
University, and he and Bush shared a light moment that was puzzling to nonTexans in the White House audience.
Bush whispered to Borlaug and gave him a thumbs-up, the hand sign for fans of
Texas A & M. Borlaug, chuckling, responded with both thumbs up.
To the befuddled audience, Bush explained the sign was for a "fighting Texas A
& M Aggie."
Bush used a short address at the beginning of the ceremony to push for higher
math standards in public schools and to encourage more science and math
professionals to take teaching jobs.
"There's no better way to make sure that young students are encouraged to take
math and science than to have successful scientists explain to our students just
the wonders of exploration," Bush said.
Borlaug said there's a need for young scientists who can do what he did and
integrate knowledge of genetics with expertise in agronomy, soils and
economics. Scientific advancements must be put to use to address lingering
problems in agriculture, he said.
Few young scientists in the field understand farming, and they become too highly
specialized, he said.
"Who is going to be the person who puts all the pieces together, who has the
broad agricultural background?"