Another long-standing voice of Cresco origins promoting the Norman Borlaug legacy:
Probably unknown to most, Cresco native and U of Minnesota alumnus, Don Henry, and his wife Sandy and son Drew have contributed in various ways to boost awareness of the legacy of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug. Borlaug, of course, is a native of Saude and Cresco, and a U of Minnesota alumnus. These Henry efforts have been different from, but complementary to, those legacy promotional activities engaged in by the Cresco-based Norman Borlaug Heritage Foundation.
Perhaps most notably, in 2013 the Henrys established at the University of Minnesota the VAALA-HENRY ENDOWMENT (In support of the Norman E. Borlaug Fellowships in International Agriculture). The gift was given in loving memory of Don’s mother Lillian (Vaala) Henry, Vaala aunts Gladys and Melba (Vaala) Robinson, uncles Orin and Harris, and their first cousin Norman who grew up on neighboring farms near Saude. Borlaug was a life-long friend to the Vaalas and in the later years to the Henrys. It was the sale of the beloved Vaala family farm which helped make this gift possible. Over the ensuing years many U of M plant pathology graduate students following in Norman’s footsteps have benefited with much gratitude from this financial support.
For greater detail about the Endowment, and photos of Borlaug and cousins, see a recent article by the ‘U’s Department of Plant Pathology (https://plpa.cfans.umn.edu/ news). What an appropriate time for them to draw attention again to the real, deserving Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, and his U of M colleagues, whose achievements may have saved more people’s lives than any in history. And a majority saved were people of color.
Beyond our efforts to honor and support the Borlaug legacy cited in the article, what follows here are additional ones we feel were also significant in that regard. Many are similar to those done in Iowa by the Borlaug-founded World Food Prize Foundation:
– in 2005 persuaded the Pohlad Family Foundation to make a gift of Leon Hesser’s Borlaug biography to every public school and library in Minnesota
– in 2006 persuaded the Minnesota State Department of Education to include Borlaug and the Green Revolution in their revised academic standards for topics to be taught to Minnesota students
– in 2012, conceptualized and successfully lobbied the legislature for passage of an annual Norman Borlaug Day in Minnesota on October 16th
– in 2014, along with others, urged Plant Pathology and the agricultural college to commission the creation of a Borlaug statue for the St. Paul campus and assured that appropriate and accurate honors were inscribed on its base
– in 1999 and 2004 successfully nominated Norman for induction into the Iowa High School Wrestling Hall of Fame (of which Don is also an inductee) and the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame (located in Cresco). For the latter, Don had the privilege of introducing Norman at the induction event. See video of Henry and Borlaug (https://www.iowawrestlinghalloffame.com/inductee/dr-norman-borlaug)
It has been a most worthy cause.
Don Henry, PhD, U of M, Sandy Henry, MSU, Drew Henry, Yale