Dr. Benjamin Carson, director of the pediatric neurosurgery division at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, will speak at 2:15 p.m. on Monday, January 16, at the Fieldhouse Arena on the Allendale Campus. His speech follows the annual campus silent march, which will begin at 1:45 p.m. at Zumberge Library.
Carson was born in Detroit and lived with his mother and an older brother. His mother worked two or three jobs at a time to support the family. When she learned Carson was at the bottom of his fifth-grade class, she forced her boys to read two library books a week, limited their television time and refused to let them play outside until their homework was complete.
Her strategy worked -- within a year, Carson was at the top of his class. After graduating from high school with honors, he earned a degree in psychology from Yale and then enrolled in medical school at The University of Michigan.
He joined Johns Hopkins as a neurosurgery resident and at age 32 became the hospital's director of pediatric neurosurgery. Carson made medical history in 1987 when he successfully separated conjoined twins, who were joined at the back of the head.
Carson is president and co-founder of the Carson Scholars Fund, which recognizes young people for exceptional academic and humanitarian accomplishments. He addresses audiences around the country and has written three motivational books: Gifted Hands, THINK Big and The Big Picture. He sits on numerous corporate and philanthropic boards and was appointed by President Bush in 2004 to serve on the President's Council of Bioethics.
Carson will also speak at the 20th annual Grand Rapids MLK celebration, beginning at 6:30 p.m. on January 16 in the Ford Fieldhouse at Grand Rapids Community College. His visit to Grand Rapids is sponsored by Grand Valley, GRCC and the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance.
