WILLIAM A. CARTER

William A. Carter was born in Corsocana, Texas on June 27, 1907, the son of William Arnold and Susan Young Carter. He graduated from the Military Academy at West Point United States; Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of California in 1933; marries Katherine Munson in July 1934; was promoted to second lieutenant of the Army of the United States in 1930 and progressed through the ranks to major general in 1953.

Carter was assigned to a professor of the School of Engineering at Fort Belvoir, Virginia from 1933 to 1934; he worked as an officer of the Second Engineer District New Orleans from 1936 to 1937 He was head of the Department of General Affairs from 1941 to 1942; he worked in the II Corps of the Army of the United States stationed in Tunisia from 1942 to 1945; was CEO of Laboratories and Research Development Engineering from 1945 to 1948 Carter was later promoted to Chief Engineer of the Third Regiment of the Army of the United States from 1948 to 1951 was a combat engineer in World War II and Head of Engineers Army second body in the Mediterranean under the command of General Omar Bradley and first chief engineer of the Army during the invasion of Normandy during the European campaign of world War II.

On July 3, 1960 Carter was promoted to Governor of the Canal Zone to Panama and worked in that position until January 1962 Carter served for a year and a half and during that time, he executed a series of programs that had started their predecessors. The expansion project of the Panama Canal continued building the bridge Americas took shape, the arrival of the first new towing locomotives, three new tugs were ordered and plans were made to convert the Marine Traffic Control Channel in electronically.

Under his rule, new methods of maintaining the locks were studied to reduce time lost while the cameras were drained. A very visible leader, Carter traveled throughout Panama seeking to improve relations with the United States and Panamanian leaders. A group of Panamanians came to honor him with a gold medal with the title of "Friend of Panama."

Carter earned his country the Distinguished Service Medal. Following his retirement from active service, he was director of engineering of the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, DC Carter died on May 18, 1996.