Amon G. Carter was born December 11, 1879 in a log cabin in Wise County, Texas. In his early teens, he was waiting on tables and washing dishes in a boarding house and selling "chicken and bread" sandwiches to passengers at the Bowie, Texas train station. Mr. Carter began his newspaper career in advertising and by 1909 had orchestrated the merger of the Fort Worth Star and its competitor, The Telegram. In 1923 Mr. Carter was named President and Publisher of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Two years later he purchased the Fort Worth Record from William Randolph Hearst in order to give the Star-Telegram a morning paper. A friend said that Amon G. Carter’s personality is so entwined in the destiny of Fort Worth that his very name is synonymous with it. Mr. Carter was founder and majority owner of Carter Publications, Inc., which owned the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, WBAP radio, and the local NBC television affiliate. Fort Worth and most of West Texas depended on Carter Publications every day for their news and information. Thousands more had Mr. Carter to thank for their employment. He influenced the decisions to locate many businesses in Tarrant County including the Convair bomber plant (now Lockheed-Martin), the Arlington General Motors Assembly Plant, and Bell Helicopter. A Star-Telegram editor said that Amon Carter’s actions often took on mythical proportions -- if it didn’t really happen, it certainly could have! Mr. Carter’s vision of the future was far reaching. In the 1920's he was a director of Aviation Corp., the forerunner of American Airlines. After drilling ninety-nine dry holes, his perseverance paid off with major oil findings in the Wasson and Ellenburger Pools. Philanthropy was always a centerpiece of Mr. Carter’s activities. He was often quoted as saying,"A man can not live off his community, he must live with it." Amon Carter was a tireless promoter of Fort Worth and played a major role in its development. He left many marks on his community and a legacy which continues to reflect his ideals.
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