Borlaug remembered as compassionate humanitarian who fought against world hunger
Borlaug, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970, and over his lifetime also received the Congressional Gold Medal, Presidential Medal of Freedom and hundreds of other awards and accolades, was recalled by his minister and eulogists as a compassionate humanitarian who fought tirelessly to end world hunger.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, former president of Texas A&M, was one of Borlaug’s eulogists. Others included U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack; Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, a member of the Indian parliament; Yohei Sasakawa, chairman of the charitable Nippon Foundation; and one of Borlaug’s granddaughter, Tiffany Borlaug Rubi.
The memorial service, held in Rudder Auditorium, was conducted by the Rev. Dr. David Beckmann, a Lutheran minister and president of the Bread for the World organization.
The auditorium stage for the memorial service was decorated with U.S.-grown wheat, corn, rice, and trees. The corn stalks represented Borlaug’s early years in Iowa, trees represented Borlaug’s first career in forestry, and sprigs of wheat symbolized the high-yielding, semi-dwarf plants that Borlaug bred to begin the Green Revolution of the `60s and `70s.
The memorial began with a greeting from the university’s interim president, Dr. R. Bowen Loftin.
“Norman Borlaug has accomplished more than anyone else in history to build a more peraceful world,” Loftin said in his remarks.
Loftin’s greeting was followed by an opening prayer by the Rev. Beckmann and scripture readings, which included a passage from Isaiah: “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.”
After Beckmann’s reading, the Texas A&M Singing Cadets sang their rendition of the “Iowa Corn Song” one of Borlaug’s favorite tunes from his early school days in Iowa.
The first eulogist, Swaminathan, said he first learned of Borlaug through his work on combating wheat rust at the University of Michigan.
“From 1963 on, he visited India in March of each year to see the wheat crop,” he said, adding that Borlaug’s work in breeding a semi-dwarf wheat “brought about a total transformation in the atmosphere in the possibility of achieving a balance between human numbers and the human capacity to produce food.”
Swaminathan said Jawaharlal Nehru’s remark upon the death of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948, that “the light had gone out in our life, but the light that shone in this country was no ordinary light” could also be applied to Borlaug.
He added that to commemorate Borlaug’s “invaluable role in the creation of India’s green revolution,” the government of India will institute a Norman Borlaug Chair in Agricultural Biotechnology for Crop Improvement at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute at Pusa, New Delhi.
Gates eulogized Borlaug for his role as a teacher, scientist and warrior against hunger. “He was a fierce advocate for science and innovation,” Gates said. “He was firm in his beliefs and vigorous in expressing them. His was not the reticent kind of humility.”
He noted that Borlaug “encouraged learning and built armies of agricultural workers” throughout the world, inspiring thousands and making millions believe it is possible to feed the world.
“Our most important work in observance of Norm’s passing is to persist in that work and that belief,” he said, concluding with the same words Borlaug used at a 2003 commencement speech at Texas A&M which Gates asked him to give: “By helping the less fortunate, you serve God as well as your country. Remember, compassion is the greatest of all human virtues.”
In his eulogy, Sasakawa said he and his father came to Borlaug when the Nobel prize winner was already 70 years old.
“We wanted (Borlaug) to do something to help alleviate the hunger of starving Africans ...” he said. “He spent as much time as possible in the field, kindly and painstakingly passing on his knowledge to African farmers.”
Sasakawa added that now he is the same age Borlaug was when he and his father asked for his help in starting a new green revolution in Africa.
“I am 70 years old now, the age you were when you began working with Africa,” he said, as if speaking directly to Borlaug. “I pledge to spend the rest of my days nurturing the shoots of this revolution throughout Africa, together with the leaders, students, researchers and farmers who embody the Borlaug spirit.”
Vilsack, formerly a governor of Iowa, eulogized Borlaug’s formative years in that state.
“He was taught in a one-room schoolhouse where students were teachers and teachers were students (meaning that every person has something to teach and also to learn),” Vilsack said. “When you look back at his early years up to the time he was about 16, it’s apparent that in reality he had no choice but to become the person he was.”
He said Borlaug, who was born in 1914, grew up in time of poverty and hunger in the U.S., and that the lessons he learned in this trying time would be those he shared with farmers throughout the world as he helped them improve their agricultural production.
Speaking for the family, Tiffany Borlaug Rubi, gave an emotional and personal account of her grandfather, who was called “II (Two) Daddy” by his grandchildren.
“What an amazing tribute to my grandfather, to have so many of you here today who have traveled from all over the world to honor his memory,” she said. “As a family, we have always been so proud of his passion, his spirit and his endurance in pursuing such a focused and selfless life.”
Rubi said for the past few weeks a favorite memory of her grandfather had continued to return to her.
“At my college graduation, as our family was all in the car, driving from one event to another and II Daddy was in the front seat when Sinatra’s version of ‘Swinging on a Star’ came on. II Daddy began tapping his foot and nodding his head, and then finally broke into song – singing along every word.”
Rubi said the song had a particularly special meaning at this time.
“One of my grandfather’s favorite sayings was: ‘Reach for the stars. Although you will never touch them, if you reach hard enough, you will find that you get a little star dust on you in the process.’” She added that she and other members of the family were grateful to have had the chance to know the world through him.
Other Borlaug remembrances at Texas A&M today included a reception, exhibition of some of Borlaug’s most prestigious medals and a symposium of his colleagues from around the word discussing his legacy.
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