Dr. Condoleezza Rice, former secretary of state, will visit Abilene Tuesday to speak at An Evening with Condoleezza Rice conducted by Global Samaritan Resources.
The event will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Abilene Civic Center Auditorium. Global Samaritan Resources, a hub and staging ground for non-profit efforts worldwide, organized the event and recruited Dr. Rice to speak.
Danny Sims, executive director of Global Samaritan Resources, also recruited ACU, Hardin-Simmons University and McMurry University to sponsor and advertise the event on campus.
Dyess Air Force Base also partnered with Global Samaritan Resources to advertise and sponsor the event. Col. Michael Bob Starr, 7th Bomb Wing Commander, Dyess Air Force Base, will introduce Dr. Rice.
The City of Abilene will assist with event security because Dr. Rice is a high profile public figure.
In the past, Laura Bush and Terry Bradshaw have spoken at the event, but Dr. Rice was at the top of Sim’s list of possible speakers.
Global Samaritan Resource wrote a letter to Dr. Rice because they wanted someone to speak about making peace in the midst of war and crafting meaningful relationships with people and organizations around the globe, Sims said.
“Come talk to us about the causes on your heart and inspire us to be faithful to the causes that are on our hearts,” Sims told Dr. Rice. “I wrote the letter, and within 48 hours we had an affirmative reply from her.”
Sims said his interaction with Rice’s office has been overwhelmingly pleasant, and he admires her genuine kindness that remains steady, regardless of politics.
“I’m really looking forward to Condi coming to Abilene,” said Caleb Orr, sophomore political science major from McKinney. “I think she is one of the most accomplished women of all time and one of the most educated and smart policy makers America has ever had. I’m looking forward to going and hearing a speaker that is a legend in politics.”
The event will start with a lecture from Dr. Rice and will conclude with a 30-minute Q&A session with the audience moderated by Sims.
The 2,500 seat auditorium is nearly sold out, and Sims encourages anyone interested in attending to buy tickets immediately at globalsamaritan.org.
