- Date Of Birth: November 12, 1911
- Date Of Death: May 9, 2012
- State: Indiana
James Emerson Carter, age 100, died Wednesday May 9, 2012 in Fishers, Indiana surrounded by his loving family.
He was born on November 12, 1911 in Indianapolis to Nellie Reed and John Carter. He grew up on the west side of Indianapolis and attended George Washington High School where he excelled in athletics. In 1930, he won the state championship in the pole vault with a record vault of 12 feet 4 3/4 inches, becoming the first Washington High student to achieve an individual state athletic title.
He was a 1935 graduate of Purdue University, and obtained a masters degree in teaching from Ball State University in 1956. At Purdue, he was an all American halfback on the football team and along with his teammate Duane Purvis, was known as one of the “Touchdown Twins”. During his 3 year tenure, the team only lost 4 games. He remains the 6th all time rushing leader in Purdue football history, averaging 5.37 yards per carry. His teaching and coaching career began at Lowell High School in Lake County, followed by a head football coaching position at Mankato State University in Mankato, Minnesota, where he met his future wife Florence. He was the head basketball coach at the University of Dayton until WWII broke out. In 1943, he was recruited by Dupont Munitions as the recreation director for a project that produced components of the atomic bomb in Hanford, Washington, known as the Manhatten Project, Jim would later refer to this as one of the most interesting jobs he ever had. After the war, he returned to football as the head coach at Terre Haute Wiley High School.
Finally, in 1951 he took a teaching and head football coach at Anderson High School where he retired from coaching 15 years later, and then as a history teacher in 1977. Jim Carter’s wife of 56 years Florence Morrow, preceded him in death in 1994.
He is survived by 3 children, Sharon Jones Bill of Fishers, James Mitch Carter Margie of Woodland Hills, California, and Jill Carter Michele of Jefferson, Maine; 5 grandchildren, Bradley Jones Cyndy, Kathy Jones, Julie Clendenden Phil, Catalina Carter, and Clayton Carter; 7 great grandchildren, Max Klapak, Mackenzie, Adrienne and William Jones, Carter and Lucy Clendenen and Drake Carter-Nelson. The family would like to thank the staff at Hamilton Trace Assisted Living in Fishers, Gary Fisch, M.D. and Allan Riley & all of Jim’s friends and family who helped him celebrate his 100 years.
