CARTER, Dr. Richard A. "Dick"

CARTER, DENNIS, LARCHE

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 1/10/2016 at 11:56:07

BIOGRAPHY of DR. RICHARD A. "DICK" CARTER
Graceland University, Lamoni, Iowa

Richard A. "Dick" Carter was born on February 21, 1919.

Dick Carter was one of the most successful coaches in the history of Graceland athletics, guiding the Yellow Jackets sports teams from 1946 to 1960.

Dick graduated from Graceland in 1937 and furthered his education at Ohio State, obtaining his B.A. in education (1939), his M.A. (1956), and his Ph.D. in both physchology and guidance, and physical education, health, and recreation (1968).

Dick taught high school in Ohio before becoming an instructor in military recognition for the U.S. Navy during World War II.

Coach Carter returned to Graceland in 1946-47 to teach health and physical education and became the sole coach for football, basketball, tennis, and track.

Coach Carter studied the philosophy of the sponsoring church and related that to his philosophy of physical education. He wrote his Master's thesis at Ohio State on building a program of phsyical education at Graceland.

Coach Carter was the football coach during all of the fourteen years he was at Graceland. During the first ten of those years, Graceland was in the Interstate Conference [a junior college association] and Coach Carter's teams won seven conference championships; three of which were straight conference championships. Graceland's 1949 team fell to a 4-5 record, Coach Carter's first losing season. With many returning players, his 1950 team were undefeated and won another conference title. No team scored more than one touchdown against the Yellow Jackets.

One of Coach Carter's football highlights was the team's trip to Compton, California in the 1950 season. Even though they lost ot the California powerhouse, 30-0, the team, led by quarterback Jerry Hampton, the Yellow Jackets returned to win five and tie one during the remainder of that season.

The Yellow Jackets won three straight conference titles in the 1952-54 seasons. The 1955 teams was Carter's tenth and the Yellow Jacket's last year in the Interstate Conference. Their 3-7 record was the only second losing season in ten years.

During Coach Carter's last four years at Graceland, the college had made a shift to competition with four-year schools. Coach Carter managed a .5000 record in football three of those four years. In 1956-68, he posted a 14-12 record.

Coach Carter's last year was an intresting season. The Yellow Jackets one only twice, tied once, and lost five games.

During the first nine years Coach Carter was at Graceland, he coached basketball. The 1946-476 team tied for the conference championship; the 1947-48 team won the conference championship. Coach Carter's basketball teams never finished lower than third in the conference. The Yellow Jackets played slightly better than .500 basketball during the three years of 1949-52. The 1952-53 team posted a 22-5 record, the best during the Carter years. This team placed second in the conference but won the state junior college tournament and placed third in the regionals. 1954-55, Coach Carter's last season as Graceland's basketball coach, the team won the regional tournament which won them a trip to the national junior college tournament held in Hutchinson, Kansas. The Yellow Jackets lost both games that they played there.

Coach Carter was replaced by basketball coach Harry Dennis for the 1955-56 school year.

Coach Carter's track teams went to nationals twice (the two years they could afford to go), and Coach Carter managed to devote two afternoons each spring toward helming the tennis program.

Coach Carter often recruited athletes during summer camps and reunions, and credited his Yellow Jacket's success to a combination of the right players and hard, dedicated work.

Coach Carter left Graceland to pursue his doctoral degee and was replaced by football coach Harry Larche.

From 1961 to 1963, Coach Carter taught at Central Missouri State University where he also coached football and track. He headed the division of health, physical education and recreation. He retired from Southern Arkansas [Magnolia AR] in 1989, but continued to teach part-time. He has also spent his retirement as a volunteer math teacher in a Christian school in Arkansas.

Coach Carter was inducted into the Yellowjacket Hall of Fame in 1985. His lifelong dedication to helping young people develop physically, mentally and spiritually have earned him the honor and respect of those whose lives he has touched.

NOTE: Coach Carter died on April 22, 2002. He married Doris "Dodie" Carter on May 27, 1962. Dodie was born on July 14, 1929, and died on January 16, 2008. They were interred at Magnolia Memorial Park Cemetery, Magnolia, Arkansas.

SOURCES:

Edwards, Paul M. "The Hilltop Where. . . . An Informal History of Graceland College." Pp. 109, 111-14. Venture Foundation. Lamoni IA. 1972.

Goehner, David. “The Graceland College Book of Knowledge: From A To Z.” Pp. 397-98. Herald House. Independence MO. 1997.

Transcription and Note by Sharon R. Becker, January of 2016

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