| Authorised form of name | Borlaug; Norman Ernest (1914 - 2009) |
| Dates | 1914 - 2009 |
| Nationality | American |
| Place of birth | Saude, near Cresco, Iowa, USA |
| Date of birth | 25/03/1914 |
| Place of death | Dallas, Texas, USA |
| Date of death | 12/09/2009 |
| Activity | Education:
Cresco High School, Iowa, USA; degree in Forestry from University of Minnesota
Career:
Worked for forestry service in Massachusetts and Idaho; then began a graduate degree, followed by a doctorate,in plant pathology (1942). Worked on research for three years at Du Pont de Nemours n Delawar; joined Rockefeller Foundation co-operative project with the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, set up to solve the problem of devastation of the country's wheat harvests by stem rust. Here he developed a draught-hardy , rust resistant strain of wheat, then crossed it with a dwarf Japanese strain to produce a hybrid short enough to survive the wind. The agricultural methods he pioneered spread with similar success into south Asia, saving millions from famine. He received his Nobel prize in 1970 for helping to provide bread for a hungry world.
He served on two Presidential commissions, on World Hunger (1978-79) and on Science and Technology (1990-92). Member of the American Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Medals and prizes:
American Medal of Freedom (1977); the Vannevar Bush Award for lifetime achievements in science (2000); Public Welfre Madeal of the National Academy of Sciences (2002); Congressional Gold Medal (2007); Nobel Prize (Peace) 1970 |
| Membership category | Foreign Member |
| Date of election | 25/06/1987 |
| Age at election | 73 |
| Relationships | Married Margaret Gibson (1937) who died in 2007; has one son and one daughter. |
| Code | NA4152 |
Archives associated with this Fellow
| RefNo | Title | Date |
| EC/1987/42 | Borlaug, Norman Ernest: certificate of election to the Royal Society | 1986 |