Benjamin S. Carson,
Sr., M.D., had a childhood dream of becoming a physician. However, growing up
poor in the 1950's in Detroit, Michigan with low self esteem, a horrible
temper, and in a single parent household, the statistics were certainly not in
his favor. But Ben's mother, having only completed third grade herself,
challenged her two children to strive for success by focusing on education. She
encouraged her boys to reach beyond their meager circumstances through reading
and building their knowledge of the world. As he began to appreciate reading,
Ben's grades improved dramatically and he started to develop what would become
a life-long love affair with learning. Young Ben excelled in high school and
upon completion, went on to attend college at Yale University where he met
Candy, the young lady who would become his wife.
After graduation, Ben
would work as an X-ray technician, a bank teller, a school bus driver, a
supervisor for highway cleanup crews, and a crane operator in a steel factory,
before being accepted into the University of Michigan Medical School. Ben and
Candy were married, and after graduating medical school, Ben moved his family
to Baltimore where he performed his residency training at the Johns Hopkins
University Medical Center. Little did he know at the time, but Johns Hopkins
and Baltimore, Maryland would become his home for most of his career. On June
30th, 2013 Dr. Carson retired, and today he is emeritus professor of neurosurgery,
oncology, plastic surgery, and pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of
Medicine, after directing pediatric neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins
Children’s Center for 39 years.
Some of Dr. Carson's
career highlights include the first and only successful separation of
craniopagus (Siamese) twins joined at the back of the head in 1987, the first
completely successful separation of type-2 vertical craniopagus twins in 1997
in South Africa, and the first successful placement of an intrauterine shunt
for a hydrocephalic twin. Although he has been involved in many newsworthy
operations, he feels that every case is noteworthy and deserving of maximum
attention. He is interested in all aspects of pediatric neurosurgery, and has a
special interest in trigeminal neuralgia (a severe facial pain condition) in
adults.
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.” He is also the recipient of the 2006 Spingarn Medal
which is the highest honor bestowed by the NAACP. In February, 2008, Dr. Carson
was presented with the Ford’s Theatre Lincoln Medal by President Bush at the
White House. In May 2008, Dr. Carson was the inaugural recipient of a
professorship dedicated in his name when he became the Benjamin S. Carson, Sr.,
M.D. and Dr. Evelyn Spiro, R.N. Professor of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns
Hopkins College of medicine. In June, 2008, he was awarded the Presidential
Medal of Freedom, which is the highest civilian honor in the land. Dr. Carson
was recognized in November, 2008 by U.S. News & World Report and by
Harvard’s Center for Public Leadership as one of “America’s Best Leaders.” On
February 7, 2009, the award-winning movie entitled “Gifted Hands: The Ben
Carson Story,” based on Dr. Carson's memoirs and starring Cuban Gooding, Jr.,
premiered on TNT.
Dr. Carson holds more
than 60 honorary doctorate degrees and has received literally hundreds of
awards and citations. He is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical
Society, the Institute of Medicine/National Academy of Science, the Horatio
Alger Society of Distinguished Americans, and many other organizations. He sits
on the board of directors of numerous entities, including Kellogg Company,
Costco Wholesale Corporation, the Academy of Achievement, and is an Emeritus
Fellow of the Yale Corporation, the governing body of Yale University. He was
appointed in 2004 by President George W. Bush to serve on the President’s
Council on Bioethics. He is a highly regarded speaker who has addressed various
audiences from schools and civic groups to corporations, and has spoken twice
during the President’s National Prayer Breakfast, in 1997 and again in 2013.
Dr. Carson is president
and co-founder of the Carson Scholars Fund, which recognizes young people of
all backgrounds for exceptional academic and humanitarian accomplishments.
The Carson Scholars
Fund, Inc. was founded in 1994 to address the education crisis in the United
States. When Ben and his wife, Candy, read a research study about education in
the United States, they were alarmed by the findings. The study showed that our
nation’s students ranked #21 out of 22 countries; next to the bottom of the
list in science and math. Furthermore, the Carsons observed that many school
display cases were filled with large trophies paying tribute to their sports
teams’ achievements, while honor students only received a pin or certificate.
Dr. and Mrs. Carson
felt compelled to take action. They believed that if children could be taught
early to excel in school, they would stay motivated and have a higher chance of
educational success later in life. The Carson Scholars Fund was built on these
principles.
Recognized by Great
Nonprofits as a Top-Rated Nonprofit, Carson Scholars is currently operating in
50 states and the District of Columbia, having awarded more than $ 6.2 million
dollars to more than 6200 scholars. The program also establishes Carson Reading
Rooms in schools across the country to encourage young students and their
families to discover the pleasure of reading and to recognize the true power of
learning. To date the program has established over 100 reading rooms in 14
states in the U.S.
Dr. Carson's first four
books, "Gifted Hands", "THINK BIG", "The Big
Picture" and "Take the Risk: Learning to Identify, Choose and Live
with Acceptable Risk" (January, 2008), provide inspiration and insight for
leading a successful life; a fifth book, "America The Beautiful:
Rediscovering What Made This Nation Great", was released in early 2012 and
made the New York Times Bestseller List in 2013. His sixth book, "One
Nation: What We Can All Do To Save America’s Future" was released on May
20, 2014 and has also made the New York Times Bestseller List.
Source: Ben Carson FB Page
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