.. In memory of 1 everyone else, he was a man of strong faith who lived his life boldly. resolutely and consistently for the purpose of serving God. He was an ex– ceptional business man, a doting grandfather, an adoring husband and a shining example for everyone who knew him. If you would have asked him about his many successes, he simply would have told yo u he was just doing the best he could. According to friends and family, Paul Carter was a Hebrews II kind orman. Carter left a footprint of Ch r istian senritude in word and in deed. Carter ex– pressed the humility and spirit of a devoted Christian throughout his lifetime. According to close friend and colleague Dr. David Burks , Carter was an avid supporter of Ch rist ian Education, especially at Harding University. Ca rt e r served on the Board of Trustees for over 20 years. He was constantly involved in the ex– ecutive committees and also served as chairman of the board for four years. "Clearly, he was one of the most influential board members Harding has ever had," Burks said . Burks said that during board meetings, Carter was never the fintto speak, but he was usually the last. Even on heated and controversial topics, Carter knew the b est course of action. "When Paul spoke, that ended the discussion," Burks said, "People respected him and knew h e was right, He was a man of faith and a man of God." Carter was also instrumental in establishing the American Studies Institute at HARDING (f1ili) UNIVERSITY Paul Carter addresses the audience in the Benson Auditorium. Carter and his wife, June, made Hard– ing an important part of their lives. Jeff Montgomery 134 leadership Harding. He helped pe rsuade Sam Walton and Jack Stevens to co-chair the board of AS! and invited Walton to be an ASI speaker as well. Previously in his career, Carter worked as the chief financial officer ofWal-Mart and worked closely with "Mr. Sam" for many years. Paul and his wifeJune Car ter together donated gener– ously to Harding, but always seemed to keep th eir giving anonymous. "Paul Simply wanted people to stand for Cod and remember God with all that they did ," Burks said. "He was a giant in every sense of the word." Car ter also had an unmistakable love for his wife and for his family. Ac– cording to granddaughters Robyn and Rachel Carter, he was the ultimate family man. "He was just there fo r us, always," Rach el , a junior at Harding, said . "Activi – ties, birthday parties, games, meals - we saw him every day . He has always been at th e head of ou r family and showing that God is most impo rtant." Robyn , a freshman at Harding, recall ed her favorite memory of her grandpa dressed up as Elvis, dyed hair and ali, singing at her tenth birthday party. "He would just do anything for us," Robyn said. "As I grew up more and more, 1 realil.edjust how selfless h e was." Rachel concluded that one of the last things her grandfather told her was to "pray hard, work hard, and make a difference to this world." This is how Paul Carter lived, and this is the legacy he left. Janet Orgain
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