At noon on Saturday, a campus memorial service was held dedicating an inscribed granite fountain, located on the northwest corner of the Mitchell Memorial Library, to honor 1958 alumnus Wiley K. Carter. Carter’s distinguished career included serving as top aide to U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran from 1972 until Carter’s death in 1997 and as the associate director of agriculture for Mississippi State University.
As an active student at State, Carter served as editor of the Reveille, and he was a member of The Reflector staff and Sigma Chi fraternity. The Wiley K. Carter Memorial appropriately stands in front of Mitchell Memorial Library, where he presented his official political papers and memorabilia to MSU in 1996.
The collection is now part of the library’s Congressional and Political Research Center documenting his distinguished career as a public servant and providing an overview of politics and issues in Mississippi and the United States for the last 40 years.
Gwen Carter, his widow, said, “I wanted something permanent to remember him. It’s been a dream of the Carter family that has finally come true. We walked along this way many, many steps, and he would say, ‘I don’t know why, but my steps are always a little lighter when I’m on this campus.’ He truly loved Mississippi State University.”
The Wiley K. Carter Memorial was made possible by the private gifts of friends and admirers of the 1958 political science graduate.
Remarks for the unveiling service were given by Cochran, MSU President Malcolm Portera, long-time close friend Carl Ray Furr and his eldest son, Scott Carter, about the life and contributions of Carter to Mississippi State University.
Carter did much to promote MSU in areas of agriculture and farming, both in Washington and at the local level, serving as assistant to Lt. Gov. Carroll Gartin and as assistant director of the Mississippi Agricultural and Industrial Board.
“He loved Mississippi State University. It’s a real treasure to see this memorial standing here today,” Cochran said about his longtime friend and colleague. “His main focus was using his positive qualities to get things accomplished, and he was a tremendous asset to my staff. He lived his life by example, and I think his career was an example of what students can achieve if they work hard. He was an extremely hard worker and he showed by his example what others could achieve. Everyone he met loved him, and he was truly an amazing person. He will be remembered by me forever.”
Portera said, “He achieved much, and he contributed greatly. We are grateful his family and friends have decided to donate this memorial. He was committed to the ideal of service, and Wiley Carter is an outstanding example of service. As a political activist and right hand of Senator Thad Cochran, he showed what courage and commitment could achieve. I hope students will pause, reflect and be inspired by Wiley Carter’s life in this beautiful and meaningful monument.”
“We are dedicating this memorial to him today for his lifelong commitment to the university,” Scott Carter said. “This is a very fitting place for this memorial because of the many personal papers and documents he dedicated to the Mitchell Memorial Library prior to his death. He served dutifully as Senator Thad Cochran’s assistant from his days as a United States congressman, when Thad (Cochran) went to Congress until he (Carter) died in 1997.”
Craig Carter, son, said, “My father always had a special place in his heart for young people, and I think the memorial truly represents the deep feelings he had for the students to succeed in life. This is a great setting for MSU students to come and relax and enjoy the great setting of the university’s campus.”
In his welcome, close friend Furr said, “It is a dream come true, made possible by friends, associates and the university. He always said, ‘It takes a good friend to have a good friend,’ and he was a good friend dedicated to family, friends and loyalty.