TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
Dr. Warrick L. Carter 1942–2017 Educator, Composer, College President
C olumbia College President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim commented about Dr. War- rick L. Carter (Alpha Theta 1961), “Dr. Carter was a thoughtful administrator who understood deeply the importance of education. Not just for artists, but for all students who view the world through a creative lens. He challenged the institution to respond to the way education was rapidly chang- ing, and in so doing, he opened a path for Columbia to continue to evolve as it has always done so well over its 127-year history.” Appointed in 2000 as President of Columbia College located in down- town Chicago, Illinois, Dr. Carter held a long and distinguished career in higher education, musical education, and civic involvement. Brother Dr. Warrick L. Carter entered the Chapter Invisible on July 15, 2017 at the age of 75.
Dr. Carter was born into a musical fam- ily on May 6, 1942 in Charlottesville, Virginia. His mother, Evelyn, taught piano from the family home, and father, Charles M. Carter, Sr., was a railroad worker and founder of the Harry T. Burleigh Choir, specializing in spiritu- als and gospel. He attended Tennessee State University earning a B.S. degree in 1964. He also performed advanced stud- ies in percussion at the Blair Academy of Music at Tennessee State University in 1965. He subsequently received a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in music education from Michigan State Univer- sity in 1966 and 1970 respectively. Brother Carter remained active as a performer in addition to his work as an educator. He was a member of the Lansing (Michigan) Symphony Orchestra in 1965 and from 1968 to 1970. His
arrangements and original compositions were performed by musicians at a variety of institutions, including Tennessee State, University of Maryland, George Peabody Teachers College, Michigan State, University of Wisconsin, Southern University and Thornton Junior College. An early highlight of Carter’s career as a composer/arranger was a 1968 piece he arranged for Mercer Ellington’s band. Brother Carter’s career as a percussion- ist included performances at a wide range of jazz festivals, army bases and other concert venues, both in the United States and abroad. In 1970, he was honored with the Best Drummer award from the Collegiate Jazz Festival held at University of Notre Dame. Brother Carter’s compositions covered a vast territory, including pieces for jazz en- sembles, percussion ensembles, march- ing band and orchestra. His orchestral
Publishing achievement for more than 100 years
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