The 19th century statesman Joel Roberts Poinsett, pen in hand, is seated on a bench in Court Square in front of the Westin Poinsett Hotel in Greenville, South Carolina.

Poinsett (1779–1851) was a diplomat and botanist, holding several high-level federal positions, including the United States’ first ambassador to Mexico and Secretary of War. He is best known for introducing the traditional red-and-green Christmas plant — the poinsettia — to the U.S.