About the Building
As a special tribute to Dr. Norman Borlaug, and to provide an enduring foundation for all of the programs he created, the World Food Prize has embarked on a $29.8 million capital project to restore the century-old Des Moines Public Library Building as the Dr. Norman E. Borlaug Hall of Laureates.
Open to the public, the Hall of Laureates will serve as a museum to recognize great achievements in agriculture; a convocation center at which to hold the World Food Prize International Symposium – the Borlaug Dialogue; a home for the expanded Global Youth Institute; an educational facility featuring interactive displays on hunger and food security; and a conference center and community hall available to other groups and organizations for their meetings and events.
This magnificently restored Beaux Arts space will celebrate the spirit of giving, emphasizing the importance of global food security. Dr. Borlaug will be honored for his role as the Father of the Green Revolution and the man who has saved more than a billion lives. The building will also pay tribute to the World Food Prize Laureates and Iowa’s agricultural and humanitarian pioneers for their significant contributions to the global fight against hunger and helping feed the world.
Thanks to the vision of the and the State Legislature of Iowa, the support of the Polk County Board of Supervisors, the cooperation of the City of Des Moines, and the generosity of our sponsors, an effort is well underway to preserve and restore one of Iowa’s grand, historic buildings – the old Des Moines Public Library Building – so it may serve as a: