SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson will speak at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2, at Wofford College as part of the Commander-in-Chief Presidential Forum series. The event will be held in Leonard Auditorium in Main Building on the college’s campus.
The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required and are available on a first-come basis.
To register for tickets, go to:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ben-carson-commander-in-chief-presidential-forum-at-wofford-college-tickets-19360136690
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for ticketed attendees; the program will begin at 7 p.m. Plans are to live-stream the event for those unable to get tickets or to attend; a link to the live-stream will be provided closer to Dec. 2.
The Commander-in-Chief Presidential Forum will be moderated by former S.C. Gov. David Beasley. The forum series is co-sponsored by the South Carolina Republican Party.
All major Republican presidential candidates have been invited to participate in the Commander-in-Chief Presidential Forum series, and more events are expected to be announced soon. The series is 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 Commander-in-Chief Presidential Forum series is designed to focus on issues of national security and foreign policy,” says Van Hipp, chairman of American Defense International Inc. in Washington, D.C., who sponsors the Hipp Lecture Series. He is a 1982 graduate of Wofford. “These are critical issues that will face a new president elected in 2016, and it’s important that we hear what the candidates have to say.”
Matt Moore, chairman of the S.C. GOP, says the forum will bring important issues to the forefront of the presidential campaign and notes that the South Carolina Republican primary is 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. 2016 will be no different,” he adds.
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.
Hipp 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.