Ben Carson

Carson earned national acclaim during 29 years leading the pediatric neurosurgery unit of Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore. He directed the first surgery to separate twins connected at the back of the head. His career was notable enough to inspire the 2009 movie, “Gifted Hands,” with actor Cuba Gooding Jr. depicting Carson.

He went on to become a noted author and inspirational speaker, and gained a national political profile with his 2013 National Prayer Breakfast, where he critiqued what he called the modern welfare state and the nation’s overall direction.

– The Associated Press