Thomas S. Carter
| Thomas S. Carter | |
|---|---|
| Born | Thomas Smith Carter Jr. 6 June 1921 Dallas, Texas, United States |
| Died | 12 March 2019 |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Bachelor of Science in civil engineering, Southern Methodist University, 1944; master's degree in engineering management, University of Kansas, 1991 |
| Occupation | Railroad engineer and executive |
| Employer | Kansas City Southern Railway |
| Title | Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Kansas City Southern Railroad (former) |
| Known for | Thirteenth president of Kansas City Southern Railway, 1973 to 1986 |
Thomas Smith Carter Jr. (6 June 1921 to 12 March 2019) was an American railroad engineer and executive. Carter served as the thirteenth president of the Kansas City Southern Railway from 1973 to 1986 and went on to hold the combined roles of chairman, president and chief executive officer of Kansas City Southern Railroad before retiring in 1990.
Carter's career in railroading began as a working engineer and continued through operational and executive posts at several companies over more than four decades before he reached the top of Kansas City Southern.
Early life and education
Carter was born in Dallas, Texas, to Thomas Smith and Matilda (nee Dowell) Carter. During the Second World War he served in the Army Corps of Engineers in the South Pacific. He attended Southern Methodist University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering in 1944. Much later in life, after his career as a railroad executive, Carter also attended the University of Kansas and earned a master's degree in engineering management in 1991.
Career
Early railroad career
Carter worked his way up through the railroad industry over several decades. He worked as an engineer for the Louisiana and Arkansas Railway, the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, and the Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroads. At Kansas City Southern Railway he held the posts of chief engineer, vice president of operations, and vice president. He also served as vice president of the Louisiana and Arkansas Railway during the 1960s.
President of Kansas City Southern Railway, 1973 to 1986
Carter was named the thirteenth president of Kansas City Southern Railway in 1973 and held the post until 1986.
Chairman, chief executive and retirement
Carter went on to become chairman, president and chief executive officer of Kansas City Southern Railroad. He retired from executive leadership in 1990 and continued to serve the company as a director for a further five years. Carter also taught for several years at Johnson County Community College in Kansas.
Personal life
Carter married Janet Hostetter in 1946. They remained married until her death in 1981, and the couple had four children. At the time of his death in 2019, Carter had five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Later in life he volunteered at the David Powell Food Pantry at his church, First United Methodist Church in Lindale, Texas.
Assessment
Carter's career was built on decades of operational experience across several railroads before he reached the presidency of Kansas City Southern Railway, a path reflected in his progression through the roles of chief engineer, vice president and, eventually, chairman, president and chief executive officer of the company. The available record documents a long and steady rise within a single industry rather than any single defining transaction or controversy, and it records no adverse findings against him. Carter's decision to earn a further postgraduate degree in engineering management after his retirement as president, and his subsequent years of teaching and church volunteering, point to a figure who remained engaged in engineering education and civic life well beyond his executive career.