Robert E. Carter (October 7, 1939 – January 5, 2015) was an American politician and schoolteacher from Tennessee.

Biography

Carter was born in

Scott County, Virginia Scott County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,576. Its county seat is Gate City. Scott County was formed by an act of the General Assembly on November 24, ...

to Robert and Estelle Carter. He attended Virginia High School in

Bristol, Virginia Bristol is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,219. It is the twin city of Bristol, Tennessee, just across the state line, which runs down the middle of its main street, State S ...

and earned a BS and MS in education from the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, ...

, where he also played for the school's basketball team. After serving as an assistant coach for the 1961–1962 season, Carter left Tennessee. He then taught and coached at Beaver High School in Pennsylvania, Humboldt High School in

Humboldt, Tennessee Humboldt is a city in Gibson and Madison counties, Tennessee. The population was 8,452 at the 2010 census, a decline of 1,015 from 2000. It is the principal city of and is included in the Humboldt, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area, which i ...

and

Union University Union University is a private Baptist Christian university in Jackson, Tennessee, with additional campuses in Germantown and Hendersonville. The university is affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention (Southern Baptist Convention). It is ...

. Later, he worked for

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Q ...

. Carter became a board member of three national organizations with branches in Jackson, the

Boys and Girls Club Boys & Girls Club may refer to: * Boys & Girls Clubs of America * Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada * Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Clubs, Bronx, United States * Essex Boys and Girls Clubs, in Essex and East London, England * The Boys' and Girls' Clubs A ...

Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

and West Tennessee

United Way United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit fundraising affiliates. United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public, prior to 2016. United Way organizations raise funds ...

, as well as many other local groups. He helped found the West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation. A Republican, Carter defeated

Joe McKnight Joseph Nathan McKnight Jr. (April 16, 1988 – December 1, 2016) was an American football running back and return specialist who played in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He attended the University of Sout ...

in the 1994 election. Carter served on three committees throughout his time in office: Commerce, Labor and Agriculture, Education and Government Operations. He lost the 2002 election, and was succeeded by

Don McLeary Howard Donald McLeary (born January 2, 1948) is an American politician and former college football player and coach. He was a member of the Tennessee Senate representing the 27th district, which is composed of Madison, Gibson, and Carroll coun ...

. Carter was diagnosed with

multiple sclerosis Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...

in the 1980s. He died on January 5, 2015.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Bobby 1939 births 2015 deaths People from Jackson, Tennessee People from Scott County, Virginia Tennessee Volunteers basketball players Republican Party Tennessee state senators Union University Deaths from multiple sclerosis People with multiple sclerosis Neurological disease deaths in the United States American politicians with disabilities American men's basketball players Tennessee Volunteers basketball coaches High school basketball coaches in Tennessee Basketball coaches from Tennessee