The Indianola City Council approved a resolution in support of placing a statue of George Washington Carver in the United States Capitol Statuary Hall. City Manager Ryan Waller tells KNIA News the city was approached by Simpson College President Marsha Kelliher who is on a steering commission working to get the project approved, and the city was more than happy to lend its support.

“This is one that is near and dear to our community, George Washington Carver started his college career at Simpson College and lived in our community for a while. Simpson College President Kelliher asked our city council and mayor to help support this initiative and the resolution was passed unanimously. We’ve passed that on to President Kelliher so she can work with the rest of the steering committee to help bring this project to fruition.”

Carver attended Simpson College in 1890 and 1891 before attending Iowa State. Each state gets two statues to place in the hall, with the two Iowa statues currently represented being agricultural innovator Norman Borlaug and former Governor Samuel Kirkwood. Carver’s statue would replace the Kirkwood statue, and statues have been replaced 14 times since the year 2000.