Bernard Carter (banker)
Bernard Shirley Carter | |
|---|---|
| Born | Bernard Shirley Carter 29 May 1893 Biarritz, France |
| Died | 8 November 1961 (aged 68) Paris, France |
| Occupation(s) | Military officer, financier |
| Years active | 1917–1961 |
| Known for | Partner and president of Morgan, Harjes & Co. |
Bernard "Bunny" Shirley Carter (May 29, 1893 – November 8, 1961) was an American military officer and financier affiliated with Morgan, Harjes & Co. in Paris.
Early life
Carter was born in Biarritz, France, as the sole male child of diplomat and banker John Ridgeley Carter and Alice (née Morgan) Carter. His sister, Caroline Mildred Carter, became the wife of Archibald, Viscount Acheson (who later became the 5th Earl of Gosford) in 1910.
His father was one of fourteen siblings born to Mary Buckner (née Ridgeley) Carter and Bernard Carter, a distinguished attorney and academic. On his paternal side, Bernard traced his lineage to notable Virginian families including the Calverts, Carters, and Lees, descending from figures such as Henry Lee III, the 9th Governor of Virginia, and George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, the colonial proprietor of Maryland. His maternal grandparents were Carolyn (née Fellowes) Morgan and banker David Pierce Morgan. Among his maternal relatives were William Fellowes Morgan Sr., a member of the New Jersey General Assembly and confidant of President Theodore Roosevelt, and William Fellowes Morgan Jr., who served as New York City's Commissioner of Public Markets.
Due to his father's diplomatic assignments, Carter spent much of his childhood overseas. He completed his education at the Groton School in 1911 and graduated from Harvard College in 1915 before enrolling at Harvard Law School. In 1917, he left law studies to enlist in World War I as a second lieutenant with the 103rd Infantry Regiment. After sustaining injuries on the Western Front in 1918, he served as a liaison officer for the French Eighth and Tenth Armies.
Career
Following World War I, Carter began working at J.P. Morgan & Co. in New York. In 1921, he relocated to London to join Morgan, Grenfell & Co., merchant bankers closely affiliated with the New York Morgan firm. The next year he moved to Paris to join Morgan, Harjes & Cie, becoming a partner by 1924. After Henry Herman Harjes passed away in 1926, Carter's father assumed senior partnership and the firm was renamed Morgan & Cie. Carter was instrumental in arranging significant loans through the Morgan firm for European governments and industries during post-war recovery efforts, as well as supporting American enterprises expanding into European markets.
When the company incorporated in 1945, Carter was appointed president. He ascended to chairman of the board in 1955 after Nelson Dean Jay stepped down and remained in that position until 1959 when Morgan merged with New York’s Guaranty Trust Company. Following this merger, Carter took on roles as chairman of the policy committee and advisory council member at the newly formed Morgan Guaranty Trust Company, serving until his passing in 1961.
During World War II, Carter led American Red Cross operations across Britain and Northern Ireland before rejoining military service in 1942 as an intelligence officer. He was assigned to General George S. Patton’s staff and participated in major campaigns including North Africa, Sicily, and Normandy. In January 1945, he transferred to the Office of Strategic Services, which preceded the CIA, stationed in Paris before being discharged seven months later with the rank of Colonel. His family moved to New York during Nazi occupation but returned after the war ended. Throughout both global conflicts, he received numerous honors including the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, French Croix de Guerre with Palms, and was appointed a commander of the Legion of Honour.
Personal life
In February 1915, Carter united in marriage with Louise Hope Thacher (1895–1984) at Boston's Trinity Church. She was the daughter of Louise (née Leavitt) Thacher and U.S. Representative Thomas Chandler Thacher, thereby connecting Carter to influential political and social lineages. Together, they had four children:
- Alice Mildred Carter (1915–1994), who in 1937 wed Philip Boyer Jr., a member of distinguished American families.
- Bernard Shirley Carter Jr. (1917–2002), who married Elizabeth Ann Wills, daughter of Dr. Harry Calvin Wills from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
- John Timothy Carter (1922–1928), who passed away during childhood.
- David Ridgeley Carter (1929–2009), a banking professional who held the vice presidency at Morgan Guaranty Trust Company in Paris; he also served on the board of the American Hospital of Paris and married Pauline de Leusse, descending from French nobility.
Louise Carter received the distinction of chevalier of the French Legion of Honour in 1953, recognizing over three decades of philanthropic efforts in France, notably aiding veterans blinded in war. After an extended illness, Bernard Carter died in Paris on November 8, 1961. His widow lived until 1984.
Social life and volunteer work
In 1928, the Carters purchased the Hôtel Germain, a 10,800-square-foot estate located in Senlis, which became a gathering place for diplomats, journalists, and members of Parisian high society. Among its distinguished visitors were Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, journalist Walter Lippmann, and writer Louis Bromfield. This residence remains under family ownership and appeared in Merchant Ivory Productions’ 2003 film Le Divorce.
Carter held prominent positions such as honorary treasurer of the International Chamber of Commerce and president of the American Hospital of Paris's board of governors. Additionally, he was a trustee for the American Library of Paris, served as vestryman at the American Pro-Cathedral in Paris, and acted as European vice president for the Associated Harvard Clubs.
His affiliations included elite clubs like New York’s Brook Club and Racquet and Tennis Club; Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Club; London’s Buck’s Club; as well as Parisian establishments such as the Travellers Club, Union interalliées, Harvard Club of France, and American Club of Paris.
Descendants
Through his son David, Carter was grandfather to Sylvia, Natalie, and Laura Carter. His great-grandchildren include French journalist Nicolas d'Estienne d'Orves (born 1974), alongside Natalie de Watrigant, Charles de Watrigant, Joseph Sainderichin, and Noe Sainderichin.
External links
- Mary Thacher, Bernard (Bunny) Shirley Carter, Louise Hope (Thacher) Carter and friend from the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth
- Louise Hope Thacher (1909), by Pierre Petit, from the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth