UPDATE: South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Matt Moore has announced that the South Carolina Republican Party and Wofford College have cancelled their joint presidential candidate forum to be held on Thursday night, October 15 on Wofford College's campus.
“Out of respect for those who have lost so much and those still working to recover from South Carolina's historic flooding, we think it is prudent to cancel next week's presidential forum at Wofford College. We will announce a series of make-up forums to be held over the next few months. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the victims of this horrendous flooding and we encourage all South Carolinians to volunteer wherever possible and contribute to flood relief charities," said Moore.
All ticketed guests for next week's forum will be asked to reserve tickets to the new forums as they are announced.
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Wofford College will host the Commander-in-Chief Presidential Forum, featuring Republican presidential candidates, from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, in Benjamin Johnson Arena on the college’s campus.
All major Republican presidential candidates have been invited to participate in the event, part of the Hipp Lecture Series on International Affairs and National Security, which brought the 2011 Republican Presidential Candidates Debate presented by CBS to Wofford’s campus. The event is co-sponsored by the South Carolina Republican Party.
The Commander-in-Chief Presidential Forum will be moderated by former S.C. Gov. David Beasley. It will be free and open to the public.
“Whoever America elects as its new commander-in-chief in 2016 will be facing the most complex national security and foreign policy situation that a president has ever faced,” Hipp says. “In short, electing a commander-in-chief who can keep America safe so that we remain free will be the dominant issue of the presidential campaign. I’m pleased that the Commander-in-Chief Presidential Forum, hosted by Wofford College and co-sponsored by the South Carolina Republican Party, will exclusively address these issues.”
Matt Moore, chairman of the S.C. GOP, notes the importance of South Carolina in presidential races. “South Carolina’s Republican primary presents an important test for candidates. For a generation, no Republican candidate has won the White House without first winning support from South Carolina’s diverse and informed Republican voters. This forum will bring important issues in this race to the forefront, and we are pleased to be a part of the event.”
Founded in 2011, the Hipp Lecture Series on International Affairs and National Security is designed to create signature events at Wofford. The goal of these events is to capture the attention of students and the public, and draw them into important conversations on applying American leadership and ideals to the challenges of international affairs past, present and future. The lecture series is made possible through the generous donations of Wofford alumnus Van D. Hipp Jr. (Class of 1982).
Hipp, chairman of American Defense International Inc. in Washington, D.C., recently released his latest book, “The New Terrorism: How to Fight It and Defeat It.”
Hipp has been immersed in defense and security matters since 1990 when he was appointed deputy assistant secretary of the Army for reserve forces and mobilization. He was named by then-Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney to be the principal deputy general counsel of the Navy. A veteran of the U.S. Army, Hipp served on active duty in both Operation Desert Storm and Operation Restore Democracy. He is a frequent writer and speaker on defense and international policy issues.
The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Register for tickets at: