Aline B. Carter (1892–1972) was an American poet and humanitarian, and

Poet Laureate of Texas The Poet Laureate of Texas is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Texas. List of Poets Laureate *1932-1934 - Judd Mortimer Lewis * 1935 Pearle Moore Stevens - On April 8, 1935, the State of Texas honored her by declaring her "Poet ...

from 1947 through 1949. She also served as a vice president of the Poetry Society of Texas.A Guide to the Aline B. Carter Family Papers
University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries (UTSA Libraries) Special Collections

Biography

Carter's family was well established in San Antonio history, business, and society. The women especially were well-educated, well-traveled, and well-known. Carter received private tutelage until 1913, when she left home to attend

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a private women's liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henry and Pauline Durant as a female seminary, it is a member of the original Seven Sisters Colleges, an unofficial g ...

in Massachusetts. She also studied the harp at the Boston Conservatory and

Eric Pape Frederic L. Pape (October 17, 1870 – November 7, 1938), known as Eric Pape, was an American painter, engraver, sculptor, and illustrator. Early life Pape was born in San Francisco, California, on October 17, 1870 to Friederich Ludwig and ...

School of Art. In 1915, Aline returned to San Antonio after the death of her father, Frank J. Badger, to live with her mother and grandmother in the Eagar House at 434 South Alamo. The following year she married prominent local attorney and former president of the Texas Bar Association Henry Champe Carter. Together, they raised three sons, Henry Champe, Jr., Frank, and David. The family resided in the

Alfred Giles Alfred Giles may refer to: * Alfred Giles (architect) (1853–1920), Texas architect * Alfred Giles (civil engineer) (1816–1895), British civil engineer and politician * Alfred Giles (explorer) (1846–1931), South Australian bushman, drover and ...

designed Maverick Carter House, at 119 Taylor Street. Built in 1893 for William H. Maverick, son of

Samuel A. Maverick Samuel Augustus Maverick (July 23, 1803 – September 2, 1870) was a Texas lawyer, politician, land baron and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. His name is the source of the term "maverick," first cited in 1867, which means "indepe ...

, the

Richardsonian Romanesque Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after the American architect Henry Hobson Richardson (1838–1886). The revival style incorporates 11th and 12th century southern French, Spanish, and Italian Romanesque ...

home now functions as an education center as well as museum. Her published works of poetry include ''Halo of Love'' and ''Doubt Not the Dream''. The former included illustrated hand drawings by Aline. Additionally, she wrote a manuscript for a historical novel based on the life of her grandmother, Sarah Riddle Eagar. This manuscript, entitled ''Light Beyond the Hills'', was never published and remains with the University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections. Carter had a great love of astronomy, and hosted stargazing parties on the roof of her home, where she had an observatory built circa 1925 by local artisan and friend Ethel Wilson Harris. She also taught astronomy classes at the

Witte Museum The Witte Museum was established in 1926 and is located in Brackenridge Park in San Antonio, Texas. It is dedicated to telling the stories of Texas, from prehistory to the present. The permanent collection features historic artifacts and photograp ...

in San Antonio. Known as the "White Angel" because of the white organdy dresses she often wore, Carter was a great humanitarian. She taught

Sunday School A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West. Su ...

for many years and was a member to the St. Mark's Episcopal Church. For over forty years she hosted a Christmas party for the Protestant Children's Home orphanage at her home on Taylor Street. Her work with inmates at the Bexar County Juvenile Detention Center and Bexar County Jail, and patients at the San Antonio State Hospital, was well known and appreciated. She also established the Aline B. Carter Peace Prize for Aspiring Poets. A very spiritual woman, Carter had a small chapel built at her seaside home on Mustang Island in Port Aransas, Texas as well as converting her San Antonio home library into a personal chapel. Carter commissioned Ethel Harris for both projects. The Port Aransas structure was built in 1937-38 and has become known locally as the Chapel on the Dunes. It was the first consecrated episcopal church built on the island due to the destruction from the 1919 Hurricane.Chapel on the Dunes
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Aline B. 1892 births 1972 deaths 20th-century American poets American women poets Poets Laureate of Texas Wellesley College alumni Writers from San Antonio 20th-century American women writers People from Port Aransas, Texas