Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce and Harding American Studies Institute to host Adm. William McRaven Jan. 11

SEARCY, Ark. (Dec. 20, 2023) — The Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce and the

American Studies Institute lecture series at Harding University will welcome Adm. William

H. McRaven as a distinguished guest speaker at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 11. As an

accomplished retired four-star admiral for the U.S. Navy and former chancellor of the

University of Texas System, McRaven brings a wealth of leadership experience to the ASI

series.

Throughout his distinguished military career, McRaven commanded special operation

forces at every level, meriting his position over the U.S. Special Operations Command. He

was instrumental in many of the country’s most significant military operations, including

the capture of Sadam Hussein, the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips and overseeing the

Osama bin Laden mission in 2011. McRaven is also the author of several books including

“Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life” and “The Wisdom of the Bullfrog:

Leadership Made Simple (But Not Easy).”

"Harding is proud to host such an accomplished national figure like Adm. McRaven," said

Mike Williams, president of Harding University. "His remarkable career and contributions

to national defense and foreign policy make him an invaluable voice for our ASI lecture

series. He will undoubtedly inspire and educate our university community."

As a respected authority on U.S foreign policy, McRaven has counseled a number of U.S.

presidents and national leaders including the Bush and Obama administrations. Currently,

McRaven shares his experience and skills as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations

and the National Football Foundation and serves on the Board of Directors for

ConocoPhillips.

A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin in 1977, McRaven returned to his alma

mater as the chancellor of the UT Systems in 2015. His work as chancellor was

instrumental in leading all 14 of the University’s institutions, which consisted of 220,000

students and more than 20,000 faculty members.

McRaven achieved national acclaim through his New York Times bestselling book, "The

Wisdom of the Bullfrog: Leadership Made Simple (But Not Easy),” which encapsulates the

leadership lessons gleaned from his four decades of service. Over his lifetime of

accomplishments, he has received several prestigious honors for his contributions to both

community and country, among them being named first runner-up for TIME magazine’s

“Person of the Year” and Politico magazine’s distinguished “Politico 50” list.

McRaven’s lecture will be held in the Benson Auditorium at Harding University, located at

201 S. Blakeney in Searcy, Ark., 72143. For more information about ASI or its upcoming

series guests, visit Harding.edu/ASI .