The Beirne Carter Foundation was established in 1986
by Beirne Blair Carter, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
Carter Machinery Company, Inc. of Salem, Virginia.
At the time he created the Foundation, Mr. Carter
placed an emphasis on health, education, local history, nature,
ecology and youth as areas where he foresaw opportunities to help.
At the same time, he stated that he did not wish to restrict the
Foundation and expected it “to respond in a flexible manner to
changing needs” and that he “hoped primary emphasis would be
placed upon helping citizens of all walks of life who live in all
geographical areas of Virginia.”
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Prior to his death in 1989, Mr. Carter made
several significant grants, including:
-
The North Cross School, Roanoke, Virginia –
$4,000,000
-
St. Christopher’s School, Richmond, Virginia –
$1,000,000
-
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
– $3,500,000 leading to the establishment of the Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology
Research. Additional areas of support included the McIntire
School of Commerce, Darden School of Business, and Nursing School.
-
Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia
– $250,000
Mr. Carter was a native of Richmond, Virginia.
He attended Virginia Military Institute before being called to active
duty in the United States Army in World War II. For wounds received
in Achen, Germany, Mr. Carter received the Purple Heart. Following
the war, Mr. Carter resumed his studies at the University of Virginia
where he received a Bachelor of Science in Commerce degree in 1948.
Mr. Carter began his business career with
Virginia Tractor Company, Inc. in Richmond, a firm founded by his
father, Robert Hill Carter. In 1952, Mr. Carter established Carter
Machinery in Roanoke as a separate Caterpillar dealership, covering
southwest Virginia and areas of southern West Virginia. In 1988,
Carter Machinery expanded its territory to cover most of the
Commonwealth of Virginia and to become one of the largest and most
successful Caterpillar dealerships in the country.
In the area of philanthropy, Mr. Carter will be
remembered not only for his generosity but also his vision. Perhaps,
the finest example of both was the creation and initial funding of the
Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research at the University of
Virginia. Mr. Carter was also interested and supportive of many less
noteworthy projects, particularly those involving organizations
without ready access to funding. Mr. Carter never forgot the
challenging times involved in beginning a business. Behind his desk
was a framed copy of a note in the amount of $10,000 that one of his
earlier bankers had “called”.
The Beirne Carter Foundation, although founded by
a former chief executive officer of Carter Machinery Co., Inc., is an
independent charitable organization with no connection to any other
corporate entity. |
