Ben Carson

Ben Carson is an American neurosurgeon, author, and retired politician who served as the 17th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Donald Trump. He first gained national fame as a pioneering pediatric neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he performed groundbreaking surgeries including the first successful separation of craniopagus twins joined at the head. Carson's transition from medicine to politics was marked by a notable speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in 2013 and a subsequent campaign for the Republican nomination in the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries.

Early life and education

Born in Detroit to Sonya Carson and Robert Solomon Carson, he was raised in a low-income household after his father abandoned the family. His mother, who had only a third-grade education, worked multiple jobs and strongly emphasized academic achievement, limiting television and requiring her sons to read weekly library books. Carson struggled with a violent temper and poor grades in his youth, but a transformative religious experience and focus on academics led to dramatic improvement. He graduated with honors from Southwestern High School and earned a scholarship to Yale University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. He then attended the University of Michigan Medical School, obtaining his Doctor of Medicine degree, before completing his neurosurgery residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

Medical career

In 1984, at age 33, Carson became the youngest major division director in the history of Johns Hopkins Hospital as Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery. His career was defined by performing complex and previously inoperable procedures on children. In 1987, he led a 70-member surgical team in the historic 22-hour operation to separate 7-month-old craniopagus twins, the Binder twins, who were joined at the back of the head; both survived, cementing his international reputation. He pioneered techniques in hemispherectomy to control seizures and performed other landmark separations of conjoined twins. Carson authored over 100 neurosurgical publications and received numerous honors, including the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush. He retired from active surgery in 2013.

Political career

Carson's political profile rose after his widely publicized criticism of President Barack Obama's policies during the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast. In 2015, he launched a campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, briefly leading in several polls during the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries before his campaign faltered; he suspended his bid in March 2016. After endorsing and advising Donald Trump, he was nominated as United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and was confirmed by the United States Senate in March 2017. His tenure was marked by efforts to scale back Obama administration regulations, including reforms to the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, and a focus on promoting self-sufficiency. He faced criticism for management of the agency and his comments on poverty. Carson served until the end of the Trump administration in January 2021.

Public image and media

Carson cultivated a public image as a soft-spoken political outsider and conservative intellectual, often drawing on his personal narrative of overcoming poverty through faith, discipline, and education. He is a prolific author, with books like Gifted Hands and America the Beautiful becoming bestsellers; his memoir was adapted into a television film starring Cuba Gooding Jr. His media presence includes frequent commentary on Fox News and columns for The Washington Times. Carson's political statements, particularly on issues like the Affordable Care Act, evolution, and archaeology, have often sparked controversy and drawn scrutiny from the scientific community and political opponents, who characterized some remarks as lacking empirical support.

Personal life

Carson married Candy Carson (née Lacena Rustin) in 1975 after meeting at Yale University; they have three sons. The family are devout Seventh-day Adventists, and their faith is a central part of their lives. Carson is known for his fondness for classical music and is an amateur painter. Following his government service, he and his wife launched the American Cornerstone Institute, a conservative think tank. They reside in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Category:1951 births Category:Living people Category:American neurosurgeons Category:United States Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development Category:Spingarn Medal recipients Category:Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients