Norman Borlaug died Saturday at age 95, at what many would consider a ripe old age. But those of us privileged to know Borlaug know he wasn't finished with his life's work, combatting famine and hunger. The Nobel laureate was already credited with saving more lives from starvation than any other person who ever lived. But he never quit.
My favorite memory of Borlaug was in connection with another nonagenarian, Elmer L. Andersen. The former Minnesota governor invited his fellow Univeristy of Minnesota alumnus for a chat in 2004 about how their alma mater might play a larger role in Borlaug's work. Andersen, then 94 years old himself, invitied me to sit in.
What stands out in memory about that conversation between two quite senior citizens is how up-to-the-minute they were about both the effort to combat malnutrition, particularly in Africa, and the assets that the University of Minnesota might bring to bear on the problem. Borlaug delighted in his connection to the University of Minnesota, where he earned both his bachelor's and doctorate degree, and was pleased that the institution found ways to honor him in his latter years.
But he wasn't seeking more personal recognition. He was looking for funding and U.S. attention to the problems that vexed him in Africa. Those problems were more about too few roads, and too few honest politicians, than about agriculture. Borlaug and Andersen discussed the feasibilty of the university undertaking a demonstration project somewhere in Africa, or of establishing a public policy emphasis in the alleviation of world hunger.
Had Borlaug lived, he would have been a homecoming grand marshal at the University of Minnesota next month. A fitting tribute instead would be a conversation among university leaders, faculty and students about how their institution can step up its contribution to his fight against hunger.
