Carson spoke at SRU in 1992
Ben Carson, retired neurosurgeon and candidate for the Republican nomination for president, has a 23-year-old connection to Butler County.
Carson, 64, came to Slippery Rock University in May 1992 to speak at commencement.
SRU's archive has a video recording of his address and a copy of the program from May, 16, 1992, according to Kevin McLatchy, library technician.
He was the keynote speaker at a ceremony where 875 students graduated, according to a story in the May 8, 1992, edition of The Rocket, SRU's student newspaper.
Carson had become famous during the late 1980s for his accomplishments in surgery while working at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
In 1987, he famously performed surgery on conjoined infant twins, successfully separating them.
Bob Watson, former SRU vice president of student life, was on the faculty in 1992 and met Carson at a reception on campus.
“I remember vividly meeting him and having conversation with him and being so impressed,” Watson said.
Watson said the experience made him a fan of Carson's. He said he even sent him an e-mail this year encouraging him to consider running for office.
“He's a very disciplined individual, you can tell in his lifestyle, his medical practice and his personal communication with individuals. He's very deliberate, disciplined and extremely bright,” he said.
The video of the ceremony shows Carson receiving a framed document from President Robert Aebersold acknowledging him for visiting campus and speaking.
SRU has not been the only institution to host or recognize Carson. He has received 67 honorary doctorate degrees, and in 2008 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush, according to his website.On May 4, he announced his candidacy for president in his hometown of Detroit.Carson is not the only candidate for the GOP presidential nomination with a connection to the county.Rick Santorum, the former U.S. senator who also ran for president in 2012, lived in Butler during his childhood. He announced his candidacy May 27 at Penn United Technologies in Jefferson Township.On Feb. 1, Iowa will be the first state to have a political primary event when it hosts its GOP caucuses.Pennsylvania's primary is April 26.
