Leaders from as far as Japan and India came to Texas A&M today to memorialize Norman Borlaug, the Nobel Prize winner remembered for his legendary efforts in fighting world hunger.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who served as Texas A&M president from 2002-06, called Borlaug a “warrior against hunger” during the late morning service in Rudder Auditorium.
“In my current job I have the opportunity to understand how important Norm’s work was and is for the security of this nation, and indeed all nations,” Gates said. “Norm said in many different ways that peace cannot be built when hunger persists.”
Borlaug — a Texas A&M distinguished soil and crop sciences professor — died last month in Dallas at age 95. He is credited with saving millions of lives by breeding crops such as wheat and rice, and expanding the food supply of the developing world.
Also delivering eulogies were Tom Vilsack, U.S. secretary of agriculture; M.S. Swaminathan, a member of the Indian Parliament; and Yohei Sasakawa, chairman of the humanitarian organization Nippon Foundation.
“His repeated message that there was no time to relax until hunger became history will be heard so long as a single person is denied opportunity for a healthy and productive life because of malnutrition,” Swaminathan said during the hour-long service attended by about 1,000.
A smaller gathering that is open to the public will be at 3 p.m. in Room 110 of the Koldus Building. A few dozen of Borlaug’s colleagues will speak for about three minutes each.
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