borlaug 2

Share This Page Slashdot Del.icio.us Google Digg Reddit Newsvine Furl Yahoo Facebook

Washington, Sep 14, 2009 - Iowa Congressman Tom Latham is leading an effort to replace one of the two Iowa statues currently on display in the United States Capitol building with a statue honoring the late Norman Borlaug.

“Dr. Borlaug is a true American hero and a legendary Iowan,” Congressman Latham said. “His work has saved billions of lives across the globe from starvation, and I can think of no better example of a great Iowan to the millions of people who visit the Capitol each year than Norman.”

Congressman Latham has written a letter calling on the Iowa Legislature and governor to begin the required procedures for the statue to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol.

An act of Congress 1864 allowed each state to provide two statues of notable citizens for display in the Capitol.  In 2000, Congress passed legislation allowing states to replace the statues if a resolution to do so is approved by a state’s legislature and governor.  Iowa’s current statues depict Samuel Kirkwood and James Harlan.  Three states have gone through the process of replacing statues in recent years: Kansas has replaced one of its statues with that of Dwight Eisenhower, Alabama with Helen Keller and California with Ronald Reagan.    

Borlaug, a Cresco native who died on Saturday at age 95, conducted groundbreaking work in breeding varieties of wheat to feed starving populations across the globe.  Congressman Latham led a successful effort in 2007 to award Borlaug the Congressional Gold Medal.  Borlaug also received a Nobel Peace Prize and a Presidential Medal of Freedom during his lifetime.

“Norman Borlaug is one of the most accomplished Iowans in the history of our state,” Congressman Latham said. “I stand ready to work with any of Iowa’s elected leaders to move this process forward and grant Dr. Borlaug this well-deserved honor.”

Latham also is asking the six other members of the Iowa delegation in the U.S. Congress to sign the letter.

The text of the letter is as follows:

The United States Congress had the great honor of hosting a ceremony in July of 2007 to present the late Dr. Norman Borlaug with the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal.

As you know, Dr. Borlaug was also a Nobel Peace Prize and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient for his humanitarian work mounting a global campaign against hunger that saved billions of lives among the world’s neediest people through agricultural science.  

His landmark discoveries in agriculture led to what is called the “Green Revolution.” Dr. Borlaug is a legendary figure within the agricultural community and his name is held in high regard around the world.  He was a modest man – born and raised in Cresco, Iowa, and educated in Minnesota – who once said his accomplishments were “a temporary success in man’s war against hunger and deprivation.”  

On July 17, 2007, Dr. Borlaug received the Congressional Gold Medal, making him one of only five people ever to have received the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. The other members of this outstanding group are Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, and Elie Wiesel.

Dr. Norman Borlaug is one of our state’s most accomplished natives, and one whom generations of the world’s people owe a deep gratitude, honor and respect.

We write to you today with the request to work with us to properly honor the memory and distinguished work of this great Iowan.

In 1864 the United States Congress authorized the creation of the National Statuary Hall Collection along with the authorization for each state to provide two statues of notable citizens for display in the United States Capitol.  As you may know, Iowa is represented in the collection by Samuel Kirkwood, which was placed in the Capitol in 1913, and James Harlan, which was placed in 1910.

In 2000, the United States Congress approved legislation allowing for the replacement of statues states have provided for display in Statuary Hall should the request by made by an approved resolution adopted by the legislature of the state and the request has been approved by the governor of the state.

We are requesting that you begin the process of considering a resolution in the state legislature to replace one of the two current statues representing the State of Iowa in the U.S. Capitol Building with one honoring Dr. Norman Borlaug.

We stand ready to assist state leaders to help guide this process to accomplish this request.