Retired four-star General Stanley McChrystal, former commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan, will be the keynote speaker at Freed-Hardeman University's 61st Annual Benefit Dinner Friday, Dec. 5, 2025.
HENDERSON, Tenn., April 8, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Retired four-star General Stanley McChrystal, former commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan, will be the keynote speaker at Freed-Hardeman University's 61st Annual Benefit Dinner Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. This year's event marks a return to FHU's campus following extensive renovations to Dryden Auditorium. Sponsorships begin at $600 and are available now at fhu.edu/benefitdinner. General admission tickets, which include dinner and admission to McChrystal's speech, are $150 and will go on sale in October.
"While we enjoyed an amazing night at the Ryman for the 60th anniversary of the benefit dinner, we will be thrilled to host thousands of guests back in the beautifully remodeled David Thomas Dryden Auditorium on campus this December," FHU President David R. Shannon said. "We are grateful for each donor who generously supports students through this event every year! We thank God for His abundant blessings and know that this evening with Gen. McChrystal will be one that encourages and inspires all of us."
The son and grandson of Army officers, McChrystal has a legacy of service. After graduating from West Point in 1976, he trained at the Special Forces School in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and spent much of his career commanding special operations and airborne infantry units. During the Persian Gulf War, McChrystal served in a Joint Special Operations Task Force and later commanded the 75th Ranger Regiment.
In 2002, he was appointed chief of staff of military operations in Afghanistan. Two years later, McChrystal was selected to deliver the nationally televised Pentagon briefings about military operations in Iraq. From 2003-08, he commanded JSOC and was responsible for leading the nation's deployed military counter-terrorism efforts around the globe, assuming command of all international forces in Afghanistan in June 2009. President Obama's order for an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan was based on McChrystal's assessment of the war.
After retiring from the U.S. Army, McChrystal turned his expertise to the business world. He authored best-selling management books and became the founder and CEO of the McChrystal Group, helping Fortune 500 companies strike the right balance between hierarchical and decentralized team mindsets and structures. His upcoming book "On Character: Choices That Define a Life," purported to offer "McChrystal's blueprint for living with purpose and integrity," releases May 13.
Now in its 61st year, FHU's Benefit Dinner is the university's largest annual fundraising event, welcoming some of the nation's most notable public figures to the Henderson campus. For the past 24 years, the event has raised more than $1 million annually for student scholarships, with total contributions surpassing $37 million over the event's history.
The mission of Freed-Hardeman University is to help students develop their God-given talents for His glory by empowering them with an education that integrates Christian faith, scholarship and service. With locations in Henderson and Memphis, FHU offers associate, bachelor's, master's, specialist and doctoral degrees. More information is available at fhu.edu.
Media Contact
Dawn Bramblett, Freed-Hardeman University, 731-608-7650, [email protected], fhu.edu
SOURCE Freed-Hardeman University
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