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Auto Accident Claims President of ENMU Board of Regents, Alva C. Carter Sr.
Alva C. Carter Sr., president of Eastern New Mexico University’s Board of Regents, was killed in a one-vehicle accident Nov. 20, 2008, in Roosevelt County while on the way to a dairy he owned in Texas. State Police Capt. Jimmy Glascock said his department was called to the accident scene on N.M. 202 (Cacahuate Road), about five miles from N.M. 70. “For unknown reasons his vehicle traveled off the south side of the road and struck a tree, which caused the vehicle to overturn. The vehicle landed on its top,” Glascock said. Carter was pronounced dead at the scene. “Dad died doing what he did best,” said his son, Alva Carter Jr. “He left early, and he was on his way to work.”
“The Eastern New Mexico University community is saddened to learn of the sudden death of Mr. Alva Carter,” ENMU President Steven Gamble said. “Mr. Carter’s commitment to the University and his strong support of this community were well-known, and he will be sorely missed. Our sympathy goes out to his wife, Mary Helen, and his entire family.” Carter was appointed to the University Board of Regents in 2003. Gamble remembered President Carter as his boss and a regent with invaluable access to Gov. Bill Richardson. Carter, Gamble said, affectionately referred to the students as “kiddos” and always looked out for their interests. “He was always a tough sell when it came to raising tuition and fees,” Gamble said. “He wanted to know exactly how that money was going to be spent. If we didn’t have a good answer, we weren’t going to get it.”
Carter, 68, grew up in San Jon and spent most of the last four decades in the Portales area as a college student, teacher, administrator and business owner. “There couldn’t be, in his opinion, a better place to live and raise his family,” said his other son, Alan Carter. And whatever Carter did, whether it was teaching junior high students in 1971, opening his first dairy in 1994 or entering the auto sales business in 2000, family members said he did it right the first time so he didn’t need to waste time doing it again. “My dad was my hero,” Alan said. “From a very early age, he instilled in me a work ethic and pride in a job well done.” Bob Carter said his brother was a hero for other reasons. In 1952, Bob said he filled a trash barrel with kerosene and old magazines to watch it burn. He still has burn marks over one-third of his body from the explosion. Bob said he would have died had his older brother not rolled him on the ground to extinguish him. “I know without him being there, I wouldn’t be here,” Bob said. Though he got into the dairy business late in life, Dairy Farmers of America Chief Operating Officer David Jones said Carter was successful because he thought outside of the box and never called in a complaint without also bringing a solution to the table. “He had more ideas than anyone I’ve ever encountered,” Jones said, “and even though some of them didn’t work, quite a few of them were right on the mark.”
Carter won a full basketball scholarship to Clarendon Junior College in Clarendon, Texas and graduated in 1960. He was married to Mary Helen Sewell in October 1958 in Portales. He continued his education at West Texas State University at Canyon where he earned a BA in Secondary Education in 1962. He earned a MED in 1970 from Eastern New Mexico University. Alva began teaching at Portales High School in 1971 and became the Assistant Principal in 1975, retiring in 1985. In 1980, he and his sons had begun a farming and custom harvesting business, which he joined full time upon his retirement. In 1993 he built his first dairy, which became operational in January 1994. Carter was instrumental in redeveloping the dairy industry in this area. At the time of his death, he owned two local dairies, the Carter Milk Factory and the Sloping Hills Dairy. In 2000 he purchased a local car dealership and established Big Valley Ford and Chrysler, which now operates in three locations. Carter served this area and internationally in a variety of ways including nine years on the Dairy Farmers of America Corporate Board, four years on the National Peanut Board and on the Board of Regents for ENMU for the past five years. He was also active in his church and was currently a member of the Capitan Church of Christ.
