Amon G. Carter Jr.
Amon Gary Carter Jr. was an American publisher, investor and heir. The son of publisher Amon G. Carter, he managed his father's Fort Worth Star-Telegram following his death, as well as being an executive in American Airlines and a board member of several businesses.
Early life and military career
Carter was born on December 23, 1919, in Fort Worth, Texas, to publisher Amon G. Carter and his wife Nenetta. His sister was art collector Ruth Carter Stevenson. By age 10, he worked as a newspaper seller for his father's Fort Worth Star-Telegram. As a teenager, he worked as a copy boy and photographer.In 1938, Carter graduated from the Culver Military Academy and enlisted into the United States Army. During World War II, he fought in the North African campaign as a lieutenant artillery officer of the 1st Armored Division, during which he was taken by German soldiers near Sbeitla, and held in Oflag 64 until 1945. While imprisoned, he published an illicit newspaper and created a mail line to circumvent the prison's official one. He also collected stamps while there, which he begun after creating his mail line. Following the war, Carter returned to the United States, and in June 1946, he graduated from the University of Texas System with a degree in business.
Career
He continued working for the Star-Telegram, becoming its treasurer in 1952. When his father died in 1955, he succeeded him as president of the newspaper, which he was until his death. In 1974, he agreed to the joint sale of the newspaper to Capital Cities/ABC and LIN Media, a deal worth $155 million. In 1979, he was appointed chairman of its board of directors.Besides the Star-Telegram, Carter was president of the Amon G. Carter Foundation, a charity. He was a director in American Airlines—which his father was a founder of—and played a role in their headquarters' move to Fort Worth. He also influenced the Texas Rangers' move, which Carter was the second-largest shareholder of. He served as a board member of Texas Christian University, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, and the West Texas Chamber of Commerce.