FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Mary Anthony

mary.anthony@trinity.edu

Jan. 11, 2008

Retired General John Abizaid to Speak at Trinity University

SAN ANTONIO – Ret. Gen. John Abizaid, commander of the U.S. Central Command from 2003-07, will discuss “Leading a Changing Culture” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6, in Trinity University’s Laurie Auditorium. His free public lecture is a part of Trinity University’s Distinguished Lecture Series for 2007-2008. 

General Abizaid retired from the United States Army after 34 years, during which he rose from an infantry platoon leader to become the youngest four-star general in the Army and the longest-serving commander of United States Central Command.  He is respected by troops in the field and international leaders. During a distinguished and storied career he commanded at every level, with unique and challenging assignments ranging from infantry combat to delicate international negotiations.

He studied and often served in the Middle East and is widely considered to be an expert in the field of Middle Eastern affairs.  It was not uncommon to see General Abizaid in some of Baghdad’s toughest neighborhoods talking with locals, who were surprised to encounter a four-star U.S. general speaking with them in Arabic. General Abizaid, whose grandparents were Lebanese, has an unparalleled insight on the current Middle East situation from the perspective of someone who’s lived in and led U.S. forces in the area.

General Abizaid graduated from the United States Military Academy with a B.S. in 1973.  His military education, in addition to infantry basic and advanced courses, includes the Armed Forces Staff College and an Army War College Senior Fellowship at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University.  His civilian studies include an Olmsted Scholarship at the University of Jordan, Amman, and a Master of Arts degree in Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University.  In June 2007, he returned to the Hoover Institution at Stanford University as the Annenberg Distinguished Visiting Fellow.

He is a highly decorated officer who has been awarded the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star.  General Abizaid holds military honors from numerous nations including: Germany, France, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Australia, Afghanistan, and Egypt.

The Trinity University Distinguished Lecture Series is made possible through an endowment created by Mr. and Mrs. Walter F. Brown of San Antonio. 

For additional information, contact Trinity’s Office of University Communications at 210-999-8406.

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© 2007 Trinity University