Published on September 16, 2020 by Leighton Doores  

Former longtime Samford University professor Frances Carter is doing all she can to ensure the legacy of Rosie the Riveter will always be remembered. In 1998, she established the American Rosie the Riveter Association, a national organization created to honor the working women of World War II and further the advancement of patriotic ideals, excellence in the work place and loyalty to the United States of America.

In a video shared by This is Alabama, which won the Southeast Emmy® Award in the History/Cultural category, Carter says, “I think we opened the door for women to work in any kind of job.”

During her 28 years on Samford’s faculty, Frances taught both education and home economics, and established the early childhood education major for Samford students.

Carter and her late husband, John Carter, also a long-time Samford professor and former dean of Orlean Beeson School of Education, have been generous supporters of the school. Over the years, the Carters have supported education programs by funding scholarships and sponsoring the Young Authors Conference held annually here at Samford.  The Carters also led the International Book Project, which provided thousands of books to foreign university libraries.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.