Representative Vincent Michael Carter

Vincent Michael Carter (November 6, 1891 – December 30, 1972) was a United States Representative from Wyoming who served three terms in Congress from 1929 to 1935 as a member of the Republican Party. He was born in St. Clair, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, on November 6, 1891, the son of William Joseph Carter and Julia Ann (Clarke) Carter. In 1893 he moved with his parents to Pottsville, Pennsylvania, where he attended the public schools. He later pursued further preparatory studies at the United States Naval Academy Preparatory School and continued his education at Fordham University in New York.

Carter undertook legal studies in Washington, D.C., and graduated in 1915 from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America. He was admitted to the bar in 1919 and began the practice of law in Casper, Wyoming. His move west marked the beginning of a career that combined legal practice, military service, and public office. In addition to his civilian pursuits, he maintained a connection to military affairs through both federal and state service.

During World War I, Carter served in the United States Marine Corps, attaining the rank of first lieutenant and being assigned to the 8th Marine Regiment. After the war, he played a significant role in organizing the Wyoming Army National Guard’s Troop A, 58th Machine Gun Squadron. He commanded this unit with the rank of captain from 1919 to 1921, reflecting his continued engagement in military and civic responsibilities in his adopted state.

Carter’s public career in Wyoming advanced rapidly after the war. In 1919 he was appointed deputy attorney general of Wyoming, a position he held until 1923 while continuing his legal practice. In 1922 he was elected Wyoming State Auditor, and he was re-elected to that office in 1926, demonstrating his growing prominence in state Republican politics and his reputation for administrative competence. During this period he remained active in the legal profession and in 1929 moved his law practice to Kemmerer, Wyoming.

In the national elections of 1928, Carter was elected as a Republican to the Seventy-first Congress and was subsequently re-elected to the Seventy-second and Seventy-third Congresses, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1929, to January 3, 1935. His tenure in Congress coincided with a pivotal era in American history, encompassing the onset of the Great Depression and the early years of the New Deal. As a member of the House of Representatives, Vincent Michael Carter participated in the legislative process, represented the interests of his Wyoming constituents, and contributed to debates over economic policy and federal relief during a time of national crisis. He chose not to be a candidate for renomination to the House in 1934 and instead sought election to the United States Senate that year, though he was unsuccessful.

After leaving Congress, Carter resumed the practice of law, this time in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He remained an influential figure in Republican politics, serving as a delegate to the Republican National Conventions in 1936 and 1940. He continued his legal career in Cheyenne until his retirement in 1965. His long professional life reflected a combination of legal expertise, military service, and legislative experience at both the state and national levels.

In his personal life, Carter married Helen K. Carlson in 1921. She died in 1926. In 1929 he married Mary Catherine Crowley. In his later years, Carter relocated to New Mexico. He died in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on December 30, 1972. Vincent Michael Carter was buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Albuquerque, closing a life that spanned service in war, state government, and the United States Congress.