Condoleezza Rice Comes to Baylor

Condoleezza Rice

Wednesday, November 9, Baylor University had the pleasure of hosting the 66th U.S. Secretary of State and the nation's first female National Security Advisor, Condoleezza Rice.  Over 2,000 students, faculty, staff and Wacoans flooded the aisles of Waco Hall to listen to Rice speak.  President Ken Starr hosted the interview with Rice in concurrence with the conversational series ‘On Topic’.

Before the conversation got started Rice let the crowd know she was a Baylor fan when she yelled out, “Go Bears”.  Judge Starr began the talk with congratulating Rice on her New York best selling book, No Higher Honor.

Starr drilled Rice with questions on her childhood and her time in Alabama.  He also asked about her experience with 9/11 and the aftermath. 

Rice reminisced on her previous times in Texas with former president George Bush.  Bush owns a ranch in Crawford, Texas, only about 30 minutes from Waco.  Rice joked about times on the Crawford Ranch with the Saudi Prince and President Bush. 

The audience was given the opportunity to ask Condoleezza Rice questions towards the end of the interview.  One question in particular addressed Rice's lack of ambition for her position as Secretary of State.

Being only the second interview in the 'On Topic' series, Judge Starr's conversation with Condoleezza Rice was a memorable experience for the Baylor community. 

Condoleezza Rice and Ken Starr