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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