Out & About: Arboretum Great Contributors Award Dinner

The Dallas Arboretum presented its Great Contributors Award to Admiral William H. McRaven, a former University of Texas System chancellor, retired U.S. Navy four-star admiral, and New York Times best-selling author., at a Nov. 5 fundraising dinner.

Admiral McRaven has significant knowledge about the U.S. and worldwide military operations and foreign policy. He has served as the Commander of Special Operations Command Europe, the Joint Special Operations Command, and the first director of the NATO Special Operations Forces Coordination Center.

McRaven has also served as the chief architect of Operation Neptune’s Spear, the operation to find Osama bin Laden. For his work in this mission, McRaven was named runner up for Time Magazine‘s Person of the Year. He additionally served as the 11th Chancellor of the University of Texas system from 2015 to 2018.

After dinner, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO and former U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison interviewed Admiral McRaven about world affairs, intelligence, and national security.

“The U.S. needs to be an influence for good. We have a nation of laws, the best system of laws and fundamental values that are important here,” McRaven said. “Our economy is the most powerful, and our educational system is the best. … In fact, 447 Nobel Laureates are from the U.S. This is why we need to be leading.”

Robin and Jim Carreker were event co-chairs, and Robin is also a former Dallas Arboretum board member.