SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA — Vivek Ramaswamy, a candidate for the Republican nomination for President of the United States, will give a talk and take questions at Wofford College at 6 p.m., Monday, Oct. 9, in Leonard Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public and a reception with Ramaswamy will follow. Registration is recommended. 

Ramaswamy’s visit is part of the college’s Hipp Lecture Series on International Affairs and National Security. The public can register for the event online; click HERE to register. Possession of a ticket does not guarantee entry to the lecture. Doors open at 5 p.m. Seats will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. 

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“Vivek’s energetic and hopeful message to rekindle the American spirit has inspired many,” says Van Hipp, chairman of American Defense International Inc. and founder of the Hipp Lecture Series on International Affairs and National Security. “We are honored to have him on campus to meet with students and participate in a Q&A on national security and foreign policy.” 

Vivek Ramaswamy is an American business leader and New York Times bestselling author of Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam, along with his second book, Nation of Victims: Identity Politics, the Death of Merit, and the Path Back to Excellence, and Capitalist Punishment: How Wall Street is Using Your Money to Create a Country You Didn’t Vote For. A summa cum laude biology graduate of Harvard University, Ramaswamy also holds a J.D. from Yale Law School. He is the founder of Roivant Sciences and Strive, an Ohio-based asset management firm. In February 2023, Ramaswamy officially launched his campaign for President of the United States, becoming the first millennial to run as a Republican presidential candidate. 

The Hipp Lecture Series on International Affairs and National Security is part of the Hipp Center for National Security and Foreign Policy. It was founded in 2011 to create signature events at Wofford with the goal of capturing the attention of students and the public while drawing 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, chairman of American Defense International Inc., a Washington D.C.-based consulting firm specializing in government affairs, business development and public relations. Hipp is a former deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Army. 

Wofford College, established in 1854, is a four-year, residential liberal arts college located in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It offers 27 major fields of study to a student body of 1,800 undergraduates. Nationally known for the strength of its academic program, outstanding faculty, study abroad participation and successful graduates, Wofford is recognized consistently as a “best value” and for its commitment to student success and accessibility for low- and middle-income students. The college community has 12 sororities and fraternities as well as 20 NCAA Division I athletics teams.