Happy Birthday to the Oldest Known Living Sigma
Today, August 22, 2008, Bro. Welsey Carter turns 101 years old. Bro. Carter joined Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity at Lambda Chapter (Virginia Union University-Richmond, VA) in February of 1927. He is the OLDEST KNOWN living Sigma to date.
Last month, the Iota Sigma Chapter in Richmond, VA honored Brother Carter as the Iota Sigma Brother of the Year at the Iota Sigma Chapter 1st Annual Community Impact Awards & Brotherhood Luncheon.
Attached is a photo of Bro. Malcolm Holmes (Iota Sigma Chapter President) awarding Bro. Carter a plaque recognizing him as the Iota Sigma Brother of the Year.
Bro. Carter is also the oldest living alumnus of Virginia Union University (another little known Sigma History fact for today)….
Today in SIGMA HISTORY – August 22, 2008 – HAPPY 101 TO BRO. WESLEY CARTER – A SIGMA MAN FOR 81 YEARS.
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Thanks for recognizing Bro. Carter on his 101st birthday. Here is some more information about him if anyone is interested:
Bro. Wesley Theodore Carter was born August 22, 1907 in Richmond, VA. He is one of seven sons born to the late Walter H. and Virginia F. Carter. Educated in the Richmond Public School System, he graduated from Armstrong High School in 1925. From there, he entered Virginia Union University where joined the Lambda Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. in 1927—serving as Treasurer.
Upon graduating from Virginia Union in 1929 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry, he relocated to Burlington North Carolina, where he taught science and mathematics at the Alamance County Training School which is now Burlington High School. While there he coached basketball and baseball.
In 1930, Bro. Carter returned to Richmond where he taught mathematics and science at Virginia Randolph High School. During his tenure at Virginia Randolph, he met a Virginia Union University coed by the name of Louise Byrd who was double majoring in English and French. In 1933, he married his lovely bride, Louise, to whom he was married for 71 years until her passing in 2004.
To their union was born one son, Wesley, a child psychiatrist who was recently named a Fellow of Psychiatry, and in 2005 earned the Distinguished Life Fellow Award, the highest status in the American Psychiatric Association.
In that same year of his marriage—1933—Bro. Carter was asked to return to Armstrong to teach and he stayed there for 38 faithful years. During his tenure at Armstrong, he found time to earn a Master of Arts degree in School Administration from Teachers College at Columbia University in 1947, and he completed additional coursework in the teaching of mathematics, child development and audiovisual education.
Bro. Carter has been active in many civic and religious organizations over the years. He has been a member of Moore Street Baptist Church for 89 years. He fondly recalls the fact that he and his childhood friend, Sigma Bro. Charles E. Wood (who passed last year at the age of 100) were baptized there together when they were twelve years old. Other notable affiliations include membership in the Astoria Beneficial Club where he joined in 1943 and served as education chairman. He also served as publicity chairman for the Bill Bojangles Robinson Statue Committee—a role that allowed him to travel to Dayton, Ohio in 1973 to meet with sculptor Jack Witt and bring the statue back to Richmond. During World War II, he served as Director of the Rationing Program at Randolph Elementary School for two years, handling the registration of war ration books.
Among his other affiliations are the following: Richmond Teachers Federal Credit Union (now heritage Teachers Credit Union)—20 year tenure as Chairman of the Credit Committee; Educational Therapy Center—board member; Human Services Planning Division of the United Way of Greater Richmond—board member; Sherwood Park Civic Association—25 year tenure as Crime Watch and Block Captain; Carver Community Civic Association—member; Richmond-Henrico Retired Teachers; The Thebans Club; Extezus Investment Club; Director of the Central Point Alps Hunt Club; charter board member of the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Richmond; and as Chief Officer of Elections at a local Richmond precinct—a role especially notable at this time in our nation’s history.
In 1995, Bro. Carter was named Alumnus of the Year by the National Alumni Association of Virginia Union University. In 2007, the United Negro College fund National Alumni Council named him Outstanding Alumnus of the Year. During the May 2008 commencement exercises, the President and the Board of Trustees of Virginia Union University conferred upon Bro. Carter the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. I guess that means I should be referring to him as Dr. Carter!
In sharing his Sigma story, Dr. Carter wrote the following:
I joined the Lambda Chapter on February 18, 1927. In 1928 I was treasurer and my childhood friend, Charles Wood joined the Lambda Chapter. I have a copy of the receipt I signed then. I worked on the Education Committee for many years. I was a delegate to the Philadelphia Conclave along with Felix Brown, Dick Ballard and Carroll Grant. I served as chairman of the Souvenir Program for the Conclave held in Richmond in 1967. I also planned and coordinated a bus trip to a Regional Conference and Broadway show in New York, City. In earlier life, I played basketball on the Phi Beta Sigma team on the second floor of Johnson’s Funeral home with such players as Stretch Gardner, Harry Williams, Maxie Robinson, Puff Taylor and Joe Winfree. We beat all the other fraternities.
Thank you Bros. Kev and Malcolm!
LIVING HISTORY…incredible.
(I’m still trying to get my head around a basketball court on the 2nd floor of a funeral home…)