Belton, TX – On Friday, January 29, the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor was proud to host Ambassador Ryan Crocker, a Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient, on campus. Crocker’s visit, which included a lecture for UMHB students, was arranged in partnership with the Temple Chamber of Commerce.
While Crocker currently works as the dean and executive professor of the George Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M University, he spent more than 37 years serving in the Foreign Service. During his tenure, Crocker served as a United States Ambassador six times, in Lebanon, Kuwait, Syria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
“These are countries where no sane American would like to spend a weekend,” Crocker said. “In three of those countries, my predecessors, as American Ambassadors, were assassinated.”
According to Crocker, the United States has had more ambassadors killed in the line of duty since World War II than military general officers.
“It’s a rough business,” Crocker said, “but if you are committed to serving this great country of ours in places and in ways that really, really count, I invite you to think about [pursing a career in foreign service.]”
After his lecture, Crocker took questions from the faculty and students in attendance. He commented on current international issues, including conflict in the Middle East, the Iran Deal, and the Syrian refugee crisis.
“Can we fix it all? No, of course we can’t,” Crocker said. “Can we lead an effort among our closest allies to try and devise a collective response to an international problem? Yes, we’re Americans, and I just hope we do it.”
According to Crocker, none of these issues pose as immediate a risk to international relations as the inability of politicians to work together in cooperation.
“We are not going to be able to confront the challenges of the world if we can’t come together as a people, as an administration, and as a congress and say… there are issues that are more important than partisan politics,” Crocker said.
Crocker closed his time on campus by encouraging students to engage with the mission of UMHB by pursuing lives of leadership and service throughout the world.
“Whatever you do in life, get as far forward as you can, as close to the front as you can be,” Crocker said. “Find your comfort zone and get outside of it.”
