It
is my distinct pleasure to announce that world renowned
neurosurgeon, Benjamin Solomon Carson, Sr., M.D., will be the
keynote speaker for the School of Medicine’s June 2 Commencement
Ceremonies at Moody Gardens.
As many of you know, Dr. Carson
first received world-wide attention in 1987 for his
ground-breaking leadership of the medical team that was the
first to separate twins joined at the back of the head. In
1997, he pioneered the use of 3-D imagery in neurosurgery when
he led a team of South African physicians in the first
successful separation of twins joined at the top of the head.
Dr. Carson is currently the Director of the Division of
Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University, where he is
a professor of Neurosurgery, Plastic Surgery, Oncology and
Pediatrics. He is also the Co-Director of the Johns Hopkins
Craniofacial Center.
A native of Detroit who was raised
in an impoverished single parent home, Dr. Carson credits his
mother, Sonya, for instilling in him a love of education and
learning. Today Dr. Carson has a keen interest in the power of
education in a young person’s life, and in finding solutions to
the health care funding crisis in our country. He and fellow
Johns Hopkins surgeon Dr. Clifford T. Solomon recently founded
“Angels in the O.R.,” an organization that helps provide
state-of-the-art neurological care for patients, regardless of
their ability to pay.
Dr. Carson has been described as a
“legend within the medical community” and one of the “world’s
most celebrated brain surgeons.” At the age of 33, he was named
chief of pediatric surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, the
youngest physician ever to head a major division at Johns
Hopkins. His special interests involve craniofacial
reconstructive surgery, neuro-oncology, skeletal dysplasia,
seizure surgery, and in adults, trigeminal neuralgia.
In 2001 Dr. Carson was named by
CNN and Time Magazine
as one of the nation’s 20 foremost physicians and scientists.
That same year he was selected by the Library of Congress as one
of 89 “Living Legends” on the occasion of its 200th
anniversary. He is president and co-founder of the Carson
Scholars Fund, which recognizes young people of all backgrounds
for exceptional academic and humanitarian accomplishments. He
was appointed in 2004 by President George W. Bush to serve on
the President’s Council on Bioethics, and was the 91st
recipient of the Spingarn Medal, the highest honor bestowed by
the National Association of Colored People.
Dr. Carson holds more than 40
honorary doctorate degrees. He is a member of the American
Academy of Achievement, the Horatio Alger Society of
Distinguished Americans and is on the board of directors of
numerous organizations, including Kellogg Company, Costco
Wholesale Corporation and the Academy of Achievement.
Dr. Carson earned a bachelor’s
degree from Yale University and a medical degree from the
University of Michigan. He completed a general surgery
internship and a neurological surgery residency at Johns Hopkins
Hospital. He has written over 100 neurosurgical publications, is
the author of three best selling books,
Gifted Hands,
Think Big and
The Big Picture.
I want to extend special thanks to
Dr. Hank Nauta, who was instrumental in ensuring Dr. Carson’s
presence at our Commencement exercises. We will be contacting
you again with more detailed information about the Commencement
ceremony and activities as the date draws closer, but we wanted
to share this wonderful news about Dr. Carson with you today.
Sincerely,
Garland. D. Anderson,
M.D.
Dean, School of Medicine
