Carver honored by state

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A portrait of noted scientist and inventor George Washington Carver will grace the walls of the Governor's Mansion in Jefferson City.

Gov. Eric Greitens said the portrait was installed Tuesday during a Black History Month reception. The governor's office said it is the first time in the state's history a portrait of a black person will be displayed in the mansion.

The portrait, painted by Missouri artist Joanna Reid, will hang in the mansion's dining room. It will be available for public viewing beginning today.

Carver was born a slave in Diamond, Missouri, during the Civil War. He became a botanist and teacher at the Tuskegee Institute who is best known for finding hundreds of products derived from the peanut and sweet potatoes.