Last updated: October 27, 2020
Place
George Washington Carver Bust
NPS
Quick Facts
Location:
Diamond, Missouri
Significance:
Bust at George Washington Carver NM
Amenities
31 listed
Accessible Rooms, Accessible Sites, Assistive Listening Systems, Assistive Listening Systems - T-Coil Compatible, Braille, Captioned Media, Cellular Signal, Fire Extinguisher, First Aid Kit Available, Gifts/Souvenirs/Books, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information, Information - Maps Available, Information - Ranger/Staff Member Present, Information Kiosk/Bulletin Board, Internet/WiFi Available, Open Captioning, Parking - Auto, Parking - Bus/RV, Picnic Table, Restroom, Restroom - Accessible, Restroom - Family, Telephone, Theater/Auditorium, Toilet - Flush, Trailhead, Trash/Litter Receptacles, Water - Bottle-Filling Station, Wheelchair Accessible, Wheelchairs Available
A bust of George Washington Carver stands in a small plaza at the end of the Carver trail. The 2 foot 9-inch-high cast concrete bust was created by Audrey Corwin in 1952 and presented to the park at its dedication in 1953 by the George Washington Carver Memorial Institute. The bust sits on a cut stone cap over a concrete block base with a limestone veneer. The stone cap is engraved with George Washington Carver’s name. An audio box inset into the base plays a recording of George Washington Carver reciting Edgar A. Guest poem, “Equipment,” at the 1942 commencement address at Selma University (Selma, Alabama).
“Equipment” Poem by Edgar A. Guest
Figure it out for yourself, my lad,
You’ve all that the greatest of men have had,
Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes
And a brain to use if you would be wise.
With this equipment they all began,
So start for the top and say, “I can.”
Look them over, the wise and great,
They take their food from a common plate,
And similar knives and forks they use,
With similar laces they tie their shoes.
The world considers them brave and smart,
But you’ve all they had when they made their start.
You can triumph and come to skill,
You can be great if you only will.
You’re well equipped for what fight you choose,
You have legs and arms and a brain to use,
And the man who has risen great deeds to do
Began his life with no more than you.
You are the handicap you must face,
You are the one who must choose your place,
You must say where you want to go,
How much you will study the truth to know.
God has equipped you for life, but He
Lets you decide what you want to be.
Courage must come from the soul within,
The man must furnish the will to win.
So figure it out for yourself, my lad.
You were born with all that the great have had,
With your equipment they all began,
Get hold of yourself and say, “I can.”
“Equipment” Poem by Edgar A. Guest
Figure it out for yourself, my lad,
You’ve all that the greatest of men have had,
Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes
And a brain to use if you would be wise.
With this equipment they all began,
So start for the top and say, “I can.”
Look them over, the wise and great,
They take their food from a common plate,
And similar knives and forks they use,
With similar laces they tie their shoes.
The world considers them brave and smart,
But you’ve all they had when they made their start.
You can triumph and come to skill,
You can be great if you only will.
You’re well equipped for what fight you choose,
You have legs and arms and a brain to use,
And the man who has risen great deeds to do
Began his life with no more than you.
You are the handicap you must face,
You are the one who must choose your place,
You must say where you want to go,
How much you will study the truth to know.
God has equipped you for life, but He
Lets you decide what you want to be.
Courage must come from the soul within,
The man must furnish the will to win.
So figure it out for yourself, my lad.
You were born with all that the great have had,
With your equipment they all began,
Get hold of yourself and say, “I can.”