Arthur L. Carter

Arthur L. Carter
Born	(1931-12-24) December 24, 1931
Occupation(s)	Investment banker, publisher, visual artist
Known for	Co-founder of Carter, Berlind, & Weill; founder of The New York Observer; majority owner of The Nation; Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute namesake

Arthur L. Carter (born December 24, 1931) is a prominent American figure known for his roles as an investment banker, publisher, and visual artist.

Biography

Carter, born into a Jewish family, earned his degree in French literature from Brown University in 1953. Following graduation, he served in the U.S. Coast Guard between 1953 and 1956. His early career included a position at Lehman Brothers, after which he attended Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business. In 1960, he co-established the firm Carter, Berlind, & Weill, which later transformed into Shearson Loeb Rhoades and eventually merged with Lehman to become Shearson Lehman Brothers.

Upon divesting his interest in Carter Berlind, Carter engaged in multiple business endeavors before launching the Litchfield County Times to address an underserved market segment. He acquired a majority share of The Nation in December 1985 and initiated the weekly publication The New York Observer in 1987, concentrating on New York’s cultural and political landscape. Carter sold his ownership of The Nation in 1995, followed by the Litchfield County Times in 2001, and later divested from The Observer in 2006.

In recognition of his impact on journalism, New York University renamed its journalism department the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute in 2008. Additionally, Carter contributed as an adjunct professor teaching philosophy and journalism at NYU.

Personal life

From his first marriage to Linda Schweitzer, he has three children: Jon Carter, Whendy Carter, and Ellen Carter. In 1967, he wed actress Dixie Carter, with whom he had two daughters, Ginna and Mary Dixie; their marriage ended in divorce after ten years. Since 1980, he has been married to Dr. Linda Carter. His stepdaughter is actress Ali Marsh, who is married to actor Fred Weller. He is a grandfather to twelve grandchildren.

Apart from his business pursuits, Carter is also an accomplished visual artist. His paintings and sculptures have been displayed in venues across Tennessee, Rhode Island, Paris, and other locations. Art historian Charles A. Riley II, who authored two volumes on Carter’s artistic output, characterizes his metal sculptures as "a form of drawing in space," highlighting the intellectual and investigative aspects of his creative work.