“
19 March 1933: “. . . I so thoroughly agree with you that Mr. Roosevelt is going to make us a
president that history will delight to point to with pride. His prayer for God’s guidance before taking
the oath pleased me greatly.” 27 March 1933: “. . . [I]f you get a chance to see the John Hix,
‘Strange as it Seems’ movie of myself in my laboratory, please go. He wrote me about a month ago that
it was released to 6,000 theaters. He says it is excellent. I am anxious to see if you recognize me.”
26 December 1933: “. . . The colored people suffer more than any other class under the NRA code
at present. I am so glad to have you say what you have with reference to Mr. Roosevelt, he is a real
Pres. and I believe he will lead us out safely. . . .”
[circa 1934]: “The special peanut oil to which you refer is not manufactured commercially, and will
not be until I finish my investigations and get the range of its entire pharmaceutical possibilities. I
have only used it on two cases of infantile paralysis, each of which shows decided improvement. . . .
Use the oil on the slip . . . . I cured a bad case on myself with them years ago. Mine was in the knee,
swelled terribly and the pain was almost unbearable, no sleep at night. I put the knee in a continuous
heating pack at night and massaged night and morning with these oils, it cured me. . . .”
24 January 1935: “. . . I am just as busy as can be with 2068 special letters that are before me on
infantile paralysis etc. besides the crowds which come to see me. I am getting some results that seem
nothing short of miracles. The lame, through God are being made to walk. . . .”
20 March 1935: “. . . There is no Christian Science Church nearer than 42 miles of us and it is a
white church so you see I could not go if I was there. You, my great friend, cannot understand what a
terrible blight this prejudice is, but God will take care of it in His own good time and way. . . .”
30 July 1935: “. . . I hope that you will not fail to let them know that you are the one who found
me living on ten cents per week, and that you came to my rescue, and that from that time on your
home was mine, and has been ever since. . . .”
19 December 1936: “. . . What a wonderful thing if you could be here at the unveiling of the bronze in
February! This is such an unusual thing that it rather staggers me, as such things are not done until after the
person has passed on, as a rule. It is a marvelous thing for President Patterson to undertake, but he wanted to
do it and I had absolutely nothing
to say, as I was not consulted
about anything. . . .”
Sophie Emma St. John Liston
(1861-1937) lived near Simpson
College in Indianola, Iowa, when
she met Carver, whose desperate
circumstances as a newly-enrolled
student moved her. She was one
of the few white neighbors who
helped the young Carver by dri-
ving business to his laundry
service and by organizing dona-
tions of necessities. The two
shared an interest in painting, gar-
dening, and scripture, and when
Liston moved to Los Angeles,
their friendship continued to
develop through these letters.
WITH
—
Gouache on blue wove
paper, bearing the signature
“G.W. Carver” in gouache at
lower right, showing white-
petaled flowers. 4
1
/
4
x2 inches.
Provenance: From the descen-
dants of Sophie Liston.
