Vaulx Carter

Vaulx Carter was born on August 14, 1863,{{#tag:ref|Sources disagree on Carter's birth date. Family records, including a genealogy compiled by his brother William Harding Carter, list the date as August 14, 1861.Carter (1909), pp. 111–112 However, the American Genealogy Research Institute's History of the Carter Family records Carter's birth being two years later, on August 14, 1863. This date is supported by government records like those from the United States Naval Academy's Annual Register, which states that Carter was 17 years and one month old at his date of admittance, September 22, 1880, which would place his date of birth in July or August of 1863.|name=Birth|group=Note}} in Davidson County, Tennessee, the sixteenth of seventeen children to Samuel Jefferson Carter, a Southern Unionist and prominent Nashville hotelier.{{cite encyclopedia |last=Keenan |first=Claudia J. |date=March 1, 2018 |url=https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/laura-carter-holloway-langford/ |title=Laura Carter Holloway Langford |encyclopedia=Tennessee Encyclopedia |publisher=Tennessee Historical Society |access-date=March 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116080647/https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/laura-carter-holloway-langford/ |archive-date=November 16, 2018 |url-status=live}}Machoian (2006), pp. 10–12 His mother was Anne Vaulx, the elder Carter's second wife.American Genealogical Research Institute (1972), pp. 299–301 Among Vaulx's siblings were William Harding Carter, a major general in the United States Army and Medal of Honor recipient, and Laura Carter Holloway, a writer, newspaper editor, and Theosophist figure.Sasson (2012), pp. 4–5 He was raised there for the early part of his life, but was orphaned along with two of his siblings following his father's death in March 1873 and his mother's the next year. The siblings remained without a guardian until February 1875, when they were adopted by a family member and spent the rest of their childhood in Pennsylvania.{{cite news |author=Staff writer |date=February 14, 1875 |url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85033699/1875-02-14/ed-1/seq-4/#date1=1836&sort=date&date2=1922&words=Carter+Vaulx&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=2&state=&rows=20&proxtext=Vaulx+Carter&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |title=The Courts: Decisions By the Supreme Bench |newspaper=Nashville Union & American |location=Nashville, TN |page=4 |issn=2166-6105 |oclc=12190398 |access-date=August 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904001152/http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85033699/1875-02-14/ed-1/seq-4/ |archive-date=September 4, 2014 |url-status=live}} Carter attended the Swarthmore Preparatory School during the 1877–78 and 1878–79 academic years as a science student.Swarthmore College (1877), p. 39Swarthmore College (1878), p. 38 He then spent one year at Swarthmore College, again with a science focus.Swarthmore College (1879), p. 13 Following his freshman year at Swarthmore, in September 1880, Carter passed the entrance examinations for the United States Naval Academy. On the twenty-second of that month, he was admitted into the Academy, one of four people selected to represent Pennsylvania at the academy in that year's class.Government Printing Office (1880), p. 26{{cite news |author=Staff writer |date=September 26, 1880 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5153720/about_brooklyn_people_carter_passes/ |title=About Brooklyn People{{ndash}}Holloway |newspaper=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle |location=New York City |page=2 |oclc=53121892 |access-date=May 6, 2016}} {{open access}} In his second year at the school, Carter excelled in English and drawing, but had poor discipline and received 109 demerits; using a point evaluation system, the Naval Academy gave Carter fifty-three out of a possible seventy-six points for his conduct during the year.Government Printing Office (1881), pp. 20, 48 Between his second and third years, Cater sailed on the U.S.S. Constitution as a part of the Academy's summer cruise.Government Printing Office (1882), p. 41 His conduct worsened that year, and he only excelled in drawing. At the end of the year, Carter received ninety-nine of a possible one-hundred fifty-two points.Government Printing Office (1882), pp. 24, 54 Carter was scheduled to graduate from the Naval Academy in 1884, but was forced to resign in 1883. While performing his duties as a naval cadet, Carter became caught in a gale and fell. He received permanent injuries from the accident, which caused his resignation on June 14, 1883.{{cite news |author=E. A. T. |date=December 23, 1888 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-vaulx-carter-ni/1915368/ |title=A Brooklyn Invention{{ndash}}Which Attracted Attention at the American Institute |newspaper=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle |location=New York City |page=14 |oclc=53121892 |access-date=February 10, 2024}} {{open access}}Government Printing Office (1883), p. 35

File:1882 Naval Academy vs. Clifton AC Football Headline.png's article about the game against the Clifton Athletic Club|alt=A scan of a newspaper article headline reading: "A Rousing Foot-Ball Game: The Clifton Club Gave the Naval Academy Team a Hard Struggle"]]

In 1879, football began as a sport at the Academy. Student William John Maxwell organized a team made up of fellow students, without any support of faculty. He organized a game with the Baltimore Athletic Club, which ended in a scoreless tie.{{cite web |author=Staff |year=2013 |url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/independents/navy/yearly_results.php?year=1879 |title=Navy Yearly Results–1879: 0–0–1 |work=Navy History–Yearly Results |publisher=College Football Data Warehouse |access-date=July 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214095241/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/independents/navy/yearly_results.php?year=1879 |archive-date=December 14, 2013 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all}}Patterson (2000), p. 21 Maxwell graduated in 1880, and the football program ended in his absence. In 1882, Carter re-initiated and organized a new football team. He took a position as the team coach, the first in school history; he also functioned as a back when playing.Patterson (2000), pp. 21–22 He scheduled a single game for the season, which was played on Thanksgiving Day against the Baltimore-based Clifton Football Club. The Clifton team was made up of players from Johns Hopkins University, who were unable to play for their school due to the administrator's negative views towards the sport.Kroll (2002), p. 14 Carter designed a maroon and white uniform for the squad and a strip of leather which was nailed to the bottom of their shoes to prevent slipping.

It snowed heavily before the game, to the point where players for both teams had to clear layers of snow off of the field, making large piles of snow along the sides of the playing ground. The first half of the game was scoreless; the Baltimore American reported that "the visitors pushed Navy every place but over the goal line in the first half".Bealle (1951), p. 9 During play, the ball was kicked over the seawall a number of times, once going so far out it had to be retrieved by boat before play could continue. The American described the second half in detail:Patterson (2000), p. 22

: After ten minutes interval the ball was again put in play, this time being kicked off by the Cliftons. The rest period had apparently stiffened the Cliftons, for the Academy making a vigorous spurt got the ball thru them, and Street, following it up well, scored a touchdown for the Academy.

: The try at goal failed, but the ball, instead of going to the Cliftons behind the line, fell into the field and into the hands of one of the Academy team. By a quick decisive run, he again got the ball over the Cliftons goal line and scored a touchdown.Bealle (1951), p. 10

The Naval Academy won the contest 8–0, which made it the Academy's first ever football victory, and was the first match in which they recorded points.{{cite news |ref=Baltimore |author=Staff writer |date=November 29, 1882 |title=(untitled) |newspaper=Baltimore American |publisher=Charles C. Fulton & Co. |oclc=9244279}} It would remain the school's only victory until the 1884 season, and would remain as the last shutout for the school until 1886, when a squad defeated Johns Hopkins 6–0. Carter's single win gives him the second fewest in Navy football history, behind interim coach Rick Lantz. However, his undefeated record and perfect win percentage remain the highest ever for the academy.{{cite web |author=Staff |year=2013 |url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/independents/navy/coaching_records.php |title=Navy Coaching Records |work=Navy Midshipmen–History |publisher=College Football Data Warehouse |access-date=July 29, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214091548/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/independents/navy/coaching_records.php |archive-date=December 14, 2013}}

Little is known of Carter after he left the Naval Academy. Sportswriter Jack Clary, in his history of the Navy Midshipmen football program, describes Carter as having "disappeared from the historical record", his establishment of the football team being Carter's "only claim to fame". Sometime between 1890 and 1893, Carter was hired as the treasurer and assignee for the Cowles Engineering Company. The organization was created in 1890 under official laws of the state of New Jersey, under the leadership of William Cowles. It served branches of the U.S. Government and the city of New York.{{cite journal |last=Egbert |first=Walter P. |date=September 16, 1893 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vqEiAQAAMAAJ&q=trade+notes&pg=RA1-PA72 |title=Trade Notes–The Cowles Engineering Company |journal=The Engineer: Devoted to Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mechanics, and the Allied Arts |publisher=Walter P. Egbert & Sons |volume=XXVI |issue=6 |page=72 |access-date=June 15, 2013}} The company went into bankruptcy and failed three years later, owing its creditors over $30,000 (equivalent to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|30000|1893|r=-2}}}} respectively in {{CURRENTYEAR}}{{inflation-fn|US}}).{{cite news |author=Staff writer |date=October 11, 1893 |url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1893-10-11/ed-1/seq-3/#date1=1836&index=1&rows=20&words=Carter+Vauix&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1922&proxtext=Vauix+Carter&y=-221&x=-932&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |title=Cowles Engineering Company Fails |newspaper=New-York Daily Tribune |publisher=Horace Greely |page=3 |issn=2158-2661 |access-date=December 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305071612/https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1893-10-11/ed-1/seq-3/ |archive-date=March 5, 2022 |url-status=live}} The year of Carter's death is unknown.

{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no}}team

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Navy Midshipmen

| conf = Independent

| startyear = 1882

| endyear = single

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1882

| name = Navy

| overall = 1–0

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Navy

| overall = 1–0

| confrecord =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record End

| overall = 1–0

| bowls = no

| poll = no

| polltype =

| legend = no

}}

{{Reflist|group=Note}}

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{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book |ref=AGRI |author=American Genealogy Research Institute |year=1972 |title=History of the Carter Family |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=American Genealogy Research Institute |chapter=Giles Carter of Henrico County, Virginia |pages=286–301 |oclc=298517}}
• {{cite book |ref=Bealle |last=Bealle |first=Morris Allison |year=1951 |title=Gangway for Navy: The Story of Football At United States Naval Academy, 1879-1950 |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Columbia Publishing Company |oclc=1667386}}
• {{cite book |ref=Clary 1997 |last=Clary |first=Jack |year=1997 |chapter=The Tradition Begins: 1879–1899 |title=Navy Football: Gridiron Legends and Fighting Heroes |location=Annapolis, Maryland |publisher=Naval Institute Press |pages=7–18 |isbn=978-1-55750-106-6 |oclc=36713133}}
• {{cite book |ref=Carter Genealogy |last=Carter |first=William Giles Harding |author-link=William Harding Carter |year=1909 |chapter=Genealogy: The Direct Line |title=Giles Carter of Virginia: Genealogical Memoir |url=https://archive.org/details/gilescarterofvir00cart |location=Baltimore |publisher=The Lord Baltimore Press |pages=[https://archive.org/details/gilescarterofvir00cart/page/108 108]–123 |oclc=866522597 }}
• {{cite book |ref=Kroll |last=Kroll |first=C. Douglas |year=2002 |title=Commodore Ellsworth P. Bertholf: First Commandant of the Coast Guard |location=Annapolis, MD |publisher=Naval Institute Press |chapter=The Cadet Years |isbn=1-55750-474-1}}
• {{cite book |ref=WHC |last=Machoian |first=Ronald Glenn |year=2006 |chapter=Growing Up Among Soldiers |title=William Harding Carter and the American Army: A Soldier's Story |location=Norman, Oklahoma |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |pages=10–29 |isbn=0-8061-3746-0}}
• {{cite report |ref=Media Guide |author=Naval Academy Athletic Association |publisher=United States Naval Academy Athletics |url=https://navysports.com/documents/2020/8/25/2020_Full_Guide.pdf |chapter=Navy Football History |title=Navy: 2020 Navy Football |pages=160–183 |year=2020 |access-date=March 4, 2022}}
• {{cite book |ref=Patterson |last=Patterson |first=Ted |year=2000 |title=Football in Baltimore: History and Memorabilia |location=Baltimore, MD |publisher=The Johns Hopkins University Press |isbn=0-8018-6424-0}}
• {{cite book |ref=Sasson |last=Sasson |first=Diane |year=2012 |title=Yearning for the New Age: Laura Holloway-Langford and Late Victorian Spirituality |location=Bloomington, Indiana |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=978-0-253-00177-1}}
• {{cite book |ref=Swarth 87 |author=Swarthmore College |year=1877 |url=https://digitalcollections.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/object/sc11892 |title=Ninth Annual Catalogue of Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, P.A. 1877-78. With the Minutes of the Fourteenth Annual Meeting of the Stockholders |edition=1877–1878 |location=Philadelphia |publisher=Friends' Book Association |oclc=174002841}}
• {{cite book |ref=Swarth 88 |author=Swarthmore College |year=1878 |url=https://digitalcollections.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/object/sc11893 |title=Tenth Annual Catalogue of Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, P.A. 1878-79. With the Minutes of the Fifteenth Annual Meeting of the Stockholders |edition=1878–1879 |location=Philadelphia |publisher=Friends' Book Association |oclc=80538128}}
• {{cite book |ref=Swarth 89 |author=Swarthmore College |year=1879 |url=https://digitalcollections.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/object/sc11894 |title=Eleventh Annual Catalogue of Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, P.A. 1879-80. With the Minutes of the Sixteenth Annual Meeting of the Stockholders |edition=1879–1880 |location=Philadelphia |publisher=Friends' Book Association |oclc=810111622}}
• {{cite book |ref=Register 1880 |author=United States Naval Academy |author-link=United States Naval Academy |year=1880 |title=Annual Register of the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland: Thirty-First Academic Year |url=https://archive.org/details/annualregiste18801881unse/page/n5/mode/2up |edition=1880–1881 |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Government Printing Office |oclc=4844083}}
• {{cite book |ref=Register 1881 |author=United States Naval Academy |year=1881 |title=Annual Register of the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland: Thirty-Second Academic Year |url=https://archive.org/details/annualregiste18811882unse/page/n5/mode/2up |edition=1881–1882 |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Government Printing Office |oclc=4844083}}
• {{cite book |ref=Register 1882 |author=United States Naval Academy |year=1882 |title=Annual Register of the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland: Thirty-Third Academic Year |url=https://archive.org/details/annualregiste18821883unse/page/n5/mode/2up |edition=1882–1883 |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Government Printing Office |oclc=4844083}}
• {{cite book |ref=Register 1883 |author=United States Naval Academy |year=1883 |title=Annual Register of the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland: Thirty-Fourth Academic Year |url=https://archive.org/details/annualregiste18831884unse/page/n5/mode/2up |edition=1883–1884 |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Government Printing Office |oclc=4844083}}

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Category:1863 births

Category:Year of death missing

Category:19th-century players of American football

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Category:Player-coaches

Category:Players of American football from Tennessee