J. Carter Bacot '55, Board of Trustees Chairman Emeritus, died at his home in Montclair, N.J., on April 7, at the age of 72. He was former chairman and chief executive officer of The Bank of New York Company, Inc., and remained on the Board of Directors until 2003.
In an e-mail to the Hamilton College community, President Joan Hinde Stewart wrote: "Carter grew up in Utica. After graduating from Hamilton and Cornell Law School, he worked briefly for a Utica law firm before entering the banking business. His career spanned 43 years at The Bank of New York, including eight as president and 16 as chairman and CEO. His aggressive, independent thinking and sharp eye for cost-cutting were often cited among his attributes. Carter is credited with helping the bank overcome its competitors in the specialized business of clearing government securities and no-frills credit cards. More recently, Carter was elected chairman of Venator Group, the holding company for Foot Locker, for which he served as non-executive chairman.
"His affection for his alma mater is matched by few others. Carter was elected a charter trustee in 1974 and served as chairman from 1990 to 1994. In 1999, he and his wife took the first steps toward establishing the Bacot, Gunn, Kempf Family Scholarship for Hamilton students from South Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas and Essex County, New York -- areas of the country where the Bacots have family ties. This year, 11 Hamilton students benefit from aid provided by this scholarship. Carter was also a lead donor to the Sidney Wertimer Professorship. Last fall, as he has done in previous years, Carter again sponsored students participating in the Hamilton in New York City Program at an evening at the New York Philharmonic, where he was a board member, and he regularly hosted Hamilton events in the New York metropolitan area.
"Carter counted among his favorite Hamilton memories time spent at Delta Upsilon, Sid Wertimer's economics classes, Channing Richardson's international relations courses and the Hamilton graduations of his two daughters. He believed that the College's public speaking requirement had an important impact on his life by helping him overcome his shyness."
Carter Bacot is survived by Shirley, his wife of 44 years, and their two daughters, Elizabeth "Betsy" Bacot-Aigner '84 and Susan C. Bacot '88, a member of the Alumni Council and a co-president of the New York City Alumni Association. Messages of condolence will reach the family at 48 Porter Place, Montclair, NJ 07042. A service is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 9, at St. James Church in Montclair. The family has asked that contributions in Carter's memory be made to the Bacot Family Scholarship at Hamilton.
In an e-mail to the Hamilton College community, President Joan Hinde Stewart wrote: "Carter grew up in Utica. After graduating from Hamilton and Cornell Law School, he worked briefly for a Utica law firm before entering the banking business. His career spanned 43 years at The Bank of New York, including eight as president and 16 as chairman and CEO. His aggressive, independent thinking and sharp eye for cost-cutting were often cited among his attributes. Carter is credited with helping the bank overcome its competitors in the specialized business of clearing government securities and no-frills credit cards. More recently, Carter was elected chairman of Venator Group, the holding company for Foot Locker, for which he served as non-executive chairman.
"His affection for his alma mater is matched by few others. Carter was elected a charter trustee in 1974 and served as chairman from 1990 to 1994. In 1999, he and his wife took the first steps toward establishing the Bacot, Gunn, Kempf Family Scholarship for Hamilton students from South Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas and Essex County, New York -- areas of the country where the Bacots have family ties. This year, 11 Hamilton students benefit from aid provided by this scholarship. Carter was also a lead donor to the Sidney Wertimer Professorship. Last fall, as he has done in previous years, Carter again sponsored students participating in the Hamilton in New York City Program at an evening at the New York Philharmonic, where he was a board member, and he regularly hosted Hamilton events in the New York metropolitan area.
"Carter counted among his favorite Hamilton memories time spent at Delta Upsilon, Sid Wertimer's economics classes, Channing Richardson's international relations courses and the Hamilton graduations of his two daughters. He believed that the College's public speaking requirement had an important impact on his life by helping him overcome his shyness."
Carter Bacot is survived by Shirley, his wife of 44 years, and their two daughters, Elizabeth "Betsy" Bacot-Aigner '84 and Susan C. Bacot '88, a member of the Alumni Council and a co-president of the New York City Alumni Association. Messages of condolence will reach the family at 48 Porter Place, Montclair, NJ 07042. A service is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 9, at St. James Church in Montclair. The family has asked that contributions in Carter's memory be made to the Bacot Family Scholarship at Hamilton.
