Walter Edward "Ted" Carter Jr. (born 4 November 1959) is an American academic administrator and retired

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

vice admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...

. He has been serving as the 17th and current president of

The Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

since January 2024. Carter previously served as the 8th president of the

University of Nebraska system The University of Nebraska system is the Public university, public State university system, university system of the U.S. state of Nebraska. Founded in 1869 with one campus in Lincoln, Nebraska, Lincoln, the system has four university campuse ...

from 2020 to 2023, the 62nd superintendent of the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as United States Secre ...

from 2014 to 2019, and the 54th president of the

United States Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associ ...

from 2013 to 2014. He has a record number of flights with carrier-arrested landings for his role as a naval flight officer in fighter-bombers and other aircraft in operations in Bosnia, Kuwait, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Early life and education

Carter was born on 4 November 1959, and raised in

Burrillville, Rhode Island Burrillville () is a New England town, town in Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 16,158 at the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census. History Burrillville was probably first se ...

. He graduated from the

U.S. Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy is the sec ...

in 1981, was designated a naval flight officer in 1982, and graduated from the Navy Fighter Weapons School in 1985. While at USNA, Carter majored in oceanography, lettered in ice hockey 4 years (team captain in 1981), and was editor in chief of the USNA satirical magazine, ''The LOG'', from 1979 to 1981. He is a graduate of the

Air War College The Air War College (AWC) is the senior Professional Military Education (PME) school of the U.S. Air Force. A part of the United States Air Force's Air University (United States Air Force), Air University, AWC emphasizes the employment of air, ...

intermediate course, as well as the Armed Forces Staff College.

United States Navy

His career as a flight officer includes sea assignments in Fighter Squadron 161 (VF-161) on board USS ''Midway'' (CVA-41) in Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5) and in the VF-21 "Freelancers" on board USS ''Independence'' (CV-62) with Carrier Air Wing Fourteen (CVW-14). He commanded the VF-14 "Tophatters", and served as Executive Officer of USS ''Harry S. Truman'' (CVN-75), culminating in command of USS ''Camden'' (AOE-2) and USS ''Carl Vinson'' (CVN-70). His subsequent fleet-command assignment was commander of the ''Enterprise'' Carrier Strike Group / Carrier Strike Group Twelve (CSG-12) during ''Big E''s final deployment as a 51-year-old aircraft carrier. Carter accumulated 6,150 flight hours in the back seat of F-4,

F-14 The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American carrier-capable supersonic aircraft, supersonic, twinjet, twin-engine, Tandem#Aviation, tandem two-seat, twin-tail, all-weather-capable variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for t ...

, and F/A-18 aircraft during his career and safely accompanied pilots in 2,016 carrier-arrested landings, the record among all active and retired U.S. Naval Aviation designators. He also flew on 125 combat missions in support of joint operations in Bosnia, Kuwait, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Shore assignments include instructor duty in VF-124 "Gunfighters"; chief of staff for Fighter Wing Pacific; executive assistant to the Deputy Commander, U.S. Central Command; chief of staff for Joint Warfighting Center,

United States Joint Forces Command The United States Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) was a Unified Combatant Command of the United States Department of Defense. USJFCOM was a functional command that provided specific services to the military. The last commander was Army Gen. ...

; and commander, Joint Enabling Capabilities Command where he also served as lead for the Transition Planning Team during the disestablishment of U.S. Joint Forces Command. Prior to becoming president of the Naval War College, Carter led Task Force RESILIENT as director, 21st Century Sailor Office (N17). He became the 54th president of the

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associa ...

on 2 July 2013. On 23 July 2014, Carter relieved Vice Admiral Michael H. Miller, becoming the 62nd superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy. He was succeeded by Sean Buck on July 26, 2019.

Post-naval academic administration

University of Nebraska

After retiring from the Navy in 2019, Carter became the 8th president of the University of Nebraska System on January 1, 2020. During his short four-year tenure at Nebraska, he increased enrollments by making more financial aid available to low- and middle-income Nebraskans and implemented a multi-year budget plan that included a two-year, across-the-board tuition freeze. When he left, the university was faced with a $58 million shortfall by the end of fiscal year 2024.

Ohio State

On 22 August 2023, Carter was announced as the 17th President of The

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

. His tenure began on 1 January 2024. He is the first Ohio State president in nearly 70 years who does not hold either a doctorate or medical degree.

Response to pro-Palestinian campus protests

On 29 April 2024, after the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on Ohio State's campus, Carter released a public statement directed toward "students, faculty, and staff" saying, in part, "What occurred on our campus on April 25 was not about limiting free speech. It was an intentional violation of university space rules that exist so that teaching, learning, research, service and patient care can occur on our campuses without interruption." In an

op-ed An op-ed, short for "opposite the editorial page," is a type of written prose commonly found in newspapers, magazines, and online publications. They usually represent a writer's strong and focused opinion on an issue of relevance to a targeted a ...

, former OSU Professor Dr. Keith Kilty made a number of criticisms against Carter including suggesting he resign immediately.

Academic board service

In April 2023, Carter was named as a Commissioner for the Council on Higher Education as a Strategic Asset. In March 2023, Carter was elected to the

American Council on Education The American Council on Education (ACE) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) U.S. higher education association established in 1918. ACE's members are the leaders of approximately 1,600 accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities and higher educati ...

's Board of Directors. In 2022, Carter was named to the Executive Committee of the Council on Competitiveness.

Awards and decorations

In 1999, Carter was awarded the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership. In 2008, Carter was appointed an Honorary Master Chief by the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy. In 2009, Carter received the U.S. Navy League's John Paul Jones Award for Inspirational Leadership. In 2014, Carter was inducted into the Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame. In 2015, Carter was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. In 2019, Carter received the USS MIDWAY's Patriot Award in honor of the 50th Anniversary of TOPGUN. In 2022, Carter received the U.S. Naval Academy’s Distinguished Graduate Award. He is one of the youngest graduates to receive the award since its inception.

References

Attribution

External links

* - interview with Walter Carter * - interview with Walter Carter * - interview with Walter Carter * - interview with Walter Carter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Walter E. Living people People from Burrillville, Rhode Island United States Naval Academy alumni United States Naval Flight Officers United States Navy vice admirals Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Air Medal Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal Recipients of the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership American aviation record holders 1959 births Presidents of the University of Nebraska System