Thomaston Native Makes MLK Memorial A Reality

R.E. Lee Yearbook Picture

Did you know a Thomaston native made the MLK Memorial in Washington, DC. a reality?

Dr. John H. Carter, was the first African American graduate of R.E. Lee Institute in 1966, served as the Initial Project Manager for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. 

In his work he led the project team that supervised the passage of two laws authorizing the memorial, coordinated the site and design selection, and raised over $15 million before turning the project over to Atty Harry Johnson and a permanent staff. He is currently in the process of writing a book regarding his involvement in the project.

"The Memorial will embody the man, the movement, and the message. It will honor this 20th century visionary who brought about change through the principles of nonviolence and equality for all. It will be a memorial symbolizing promise and hope for a brighter future for humanity."

Dr. Carter earned a Bachelor of Arts from Morris Brown College, a Master of Human Resources from the University of Utah, a Master of Management from the University of Southern California, and Doctor of Business Administration from the California Coast University. He also completed the Columbia University School of Business Executive Program in Business Administration.

He is a retired Vice President from AT&T (formerly BellSouth Corporation). During his almost thirty-year career, he managed numerous functions to include corporate planning; marketing; corporate and community affairs; property management; corporate measurement; fleet operations; purchasing operations; service management; corporate libraries; environmental management; human resources; electronic commerce; information management; fleet management; corporate measurements; corporate safety; corporate quality; process improvement; and environmental management. In his last assignment, he managed a budget in excess of $900 Million a year and coordinated BellSouth’s $34 Million Contingency Fund for Environmental Remediation.

Dr. Carter has served on various boards over the years to include the American Red Cross, American Lung Association, Georgia Business Roundtable, National Minority Purchasing Council, and many others.

A world traveler, Dr. Carter has climbed the Great Wall of China; visited the Sphinx and Pyramids of Egypt; stood at the throne of Peter the Great in Russia and the former jail cell of Nelson Mandela; toured the castles of Europe, Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Australia; sailed the rivers of the Rhine and Nile; navigated the Caribbean, South China, Baltic, Tasman, Red and Mediterranean seas; and cruised the Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Pacific Oceans.

Dr. Carter authored a book titled Hold My Mule, wherein he wrote about growing up in a segregated south and rising through corporate America as a young Black man.