[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Pages 21465-21466]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO DR. NORMAN BORLAUG

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to pay tribute 
to a fellow Iowan, Dr. Norman Borlaug, a 1970 Nobel Peace Prize 
laureate. That honor--Dr. Borlaug's winning the Nobel Peace Prize--was 
because he was the father of the Green Revolution.
  Dr. Borlaug passed away over the weekend at the age of 95. I am 
honored to have known Dr. Borlaug. He was a remarkable man, a true son 
of the Iowa soil. A tenacity found through wrestling, a love of the 
soil, and a twist of fate helped Dr. Borlaug develop the scientific 
breakthroughs to ease malnutrition and famine around the globe. His 
effort to spare people from the sharp hunger pains that strike an empty 
stomach is an example for generations to come that one person can, in 
fact, make a difference--and, in his case, a big difference.
  Dr. Borlaug's notoriety most often comes, as I have just said, as the 
father of what is called the Green Revolution, a time when drastically 
increased crop yields over a short period of years helped alleviate 
world hunger. It is from this work that he is credited with saving more 
lives than any other person in history.
  It is said that Dr. Borlaug's desire for a sufficient food supply 
came from his childhood. He grew up in a small town on a family farm in 
northeast Iowa. His education came in a one-room schoolhouse full of 
immigrant children. It was there where he and his schoolmates learned 
the common threads between them, similar to what their own parents 
learned, that working together to provide food for their families was 
more important than any ethnic differences that might divide them.
  In true Iowa tradition, as a young man Dr. Borlaug was an outstanding 
wrestler. His wrestling skills took him to the University of Minnesota, 
where he, besides wrestling, earned a bachelor's and master's degree in 
forestry and, by a twist of fate, a doctorate in plant pathology.
  It was after his graduation and World War II service that Dr. Borlaug 
first saw the plight of poverty-stricken wheat farmers in rural Mexico. 
In the early going, his work in Mexico was discouraging, but Dr. 
Borlaug showed his tenacity and willingness to get dirt under his 
fingernails and, in fact, over a period of time ingratiated himself to 
the local farmers. With the help of Mexican farmers, Dr. Borlaug and 
his scientific team eventually developed a disease-resistant wheat--a 
breakthrough in the fight against hunger.
  His success in Mexico gave Dr. Borlaug the opportunity to help 
developing countries all around the world. His innovative work brought 
an agricultural revolution to poor and hungry countries. I don't think 
it is a stretch to say that Norman Borlaug transformed these countries. 
His work helped these countries avoid starvation and famine, but he 
also helped to lift the social conditions and create more peaceful 
societies.
  His commitment to this important cause has been recognized worldwide. 
I already alluded to the fact that he was a 1970 Nobel Peace Prize 
winner. He is one of only five people to be awarded three different 
medals of honor: the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of 
Freedom, and this Congress awarded him the Congressional Gold Medal. 
That may not sound like much, but let's just put that into context. The 
other four recipients of all three of those awards--again, the Nobel 
Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Congressional 
Gold Medal--include Nelson Mandela, Elie Wiesel, Mother Teresa, and Dr. 
Martin Luther King, Jr.
  Mr. President, Dr. Borlaug may not be a name known at every kitchen 
table, but this man is one of the greatest humanitarians who have ever 
lived. He dedicated his life to the development of scientific 
breakthroughs in order to ease malnutrition and famine all over the 
world.
  One of Dr. Borlaug's latest efforts began in the early 1980s. There 
wasn't anything in the Nobel armada of prizes that represented 
agriculture, which is why he received the Peace Prize for recognition 
of his research in agriculture, and so Dr. Borlaug thought there ought 
to be an annual award for research in agriculture and helping with the 
problems of food production. Through his initiative, the World Food 
Prize was initiated. It recognizes the achievement of individuals who 
have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, and 
availability of food in the world. Just as Dr. Borlaug dreamed, the 
World Food Prize is helping to continue to inspire future generations 
of scientists and farmers to innovate and lift those mired in poverty 
and preserving Dr. Borlaug's legacy over the years. The World Food 
Prize is the idea of Dr. Borlaug, and so his scientific work will live 
on.
  The World Food Prize exists today because of the John Ruan family 
endowing it. They are an outstanding Des Moines business family, and 
they have endowed this. President of the World Food Prize is the former 
Ambassador to Cambodia, Dr. Ken Quinn. The World Food Prize has been 
headquartered in Des Moines since 1992, about 4 or 5 years after its 
founding.

[[Page 21466]]

  An extraordinary man, with a brilliant vision and Iowa common sense 
who turned his dreams into reality--that was Dr. Norman Borlaug.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Tennessee.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, how much time is remaining?
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. There is 30 minutes remaining in 
morning business, with Senators having a 10-minute limit. The Senate 
goes out of morning business at 3 o'clock.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Will the Chair please let me know when 1 minute is 
remaining--after 9 minutes?
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Chair will so advise.

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