Dr. Austin W. Curtis Jr. was a long time companion and business partner of George Washington Carver. In 1935, Dr. Curtis arrived at Tuskegee in September. For the next eight years Dr. Curtis worked with Dr. Carver researching peanut products and sweet potato starch. Dr. Carver respected Dr. Curtis so much that he renamed one of his famous inventions, Dr. George Washington Carver Rubbing Oil, after Dr. Curtis and called it Dr. Curtis Rubbing Oil. In 1943 Dr. Carver died and Dr. Curtis helped to establish the George Washington Carver Research Foundation and the Carver Museum at Tuskegee Institute. Dr. Curtis moved to Detroit in 1944 to organize Curtis Laboratories and created 60 different products made from natural and organic sources. In 1999 Dr. A. W. Curtis turned over the ownership and manufacturing rights of his work with Dr. George Washington Carver to Reverend Bennie L. Thayer, Chairman of the Board for Natural Health Options, Inc. In 2000 Rev. Thayer turned over manufacturing and ownership of Curtis Products to Dr. E. Faye Williams, the current owner. Dr. Curtis died in 2003 at his daughter's home in Culver City, California, Dr. Austin W. Curtis was often referred to as "Baby Carver" for his own notable achievements.