William Arnold Carter
William Arnold Carter (born June 27, 1907 in Corsicana , Texas , † May 18, 1996 in Washington, DC ) was an American engineer , major general of the US Army Corps of Engineers and from 1960 to 1962 governor of the Panama Canal Zone .
Life
Parker entered the US Army after school and became a lieutenant in 1930 after graduating from the US Military Academy at West Point . He then studied civil engineering at the University of California and graduated in 1933 with a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc. Civil Engineering). In 1933 he was appointed a professor at the US Engineering School in Fort Belvoir , where he taught until 1934. He then worked in the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and, among other things, worked in the Second Engineering District of New Orleans from 1936 to 1937 . After serving as head of the USACE's general affairs department from 1941 to 1942, Carter took part under the command of General Omar Bradley between 1942 and 1945 as an officer of USACE II on the Africa and Tunisia campaign as well as Operation Husky , the Allied conquest of Sicily , as well participated as chief engineer of the 1st US Army in the Normandy landing , Operation Overlord , and the ensuing battles in Europe .
After the end of the Second World War , he first became an administrative officer in the laboratory for engineering research and development in 1945 and was then chief engineer of the 3rd US Army between 1948 and 1951 . In 1953 he was promoted to major general.
On July 3, 1960, Carter was appointed governor of the Panama Canal Zone and held that office until July 1962.
During his tenure, he continued a series of programs started by his predecessors. These included a program to widen the Panama Canal and drive the Thatcher Ferry Bridge (today's Puente de las Américas), as well as the construction of new locks for towing by locomotives . In addition, three new tugboats were ordered and plans were made to equip the ship traffic control center with electronic controls. Furthermore, new methods for overhauling locks were developed in order to reduce the time of closure times in which lock chambers are drained for maintenance work. On the other hand, Carter also traveled to other parts of Panama in order to expand US-American relations with Panama.
Carter was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his services . After retiring from governorate and serving, he was senior engineering advisor to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Carter, William Arnold |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American Army Officer and Governor of the Panama Canal Zone |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 27, 1907 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Corsicana , Texas |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 18, 1996 |
| Place of death | Washington, DC |