Interesting encounter: Dr. and Mrs. Phillips

Editor’s note:  During the mid-20th century, Dr. Norman Borlaug led the introduction of semi-dwarf, high-yield, disease-resistant wheat varieties combined with modern agricultural production techniques to Mexico, Pakistan, and India, greatly increasing food security in these countries. He is credited with saving more than a billion people worldwide from starvation.

Sherry Grimes, an information desk volunteer at the Donald W. Reynolds Center, shares an interesting encounter she had recently with some Portrait Gallery visitors.

“I had the opportunity to talk with Ronald and Judith Phillips, whose generous donation and strong advocacy led to NPG’s acquisition of a portrait of Nobel Peace Prize winner, plant geneticist and pathologist Dr. Norman Borlaug. They explained that Dr. Borlaug was one of only six people to also have been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Science and the Congressional Gold Medal.

“His portrait can be found in the NPG Recent Acquisitions gallery. Dr. Phillips worked with Dr. Borlaug on the World Food Prize as well as the World Food Prize Youth Institute. It was a pleasure to talk with them!”

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