[2][3] He attended Georgia Tech for two years, during which time he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and played for the Yellow Jackets college football team.
[5] Before completing his degree he was called to active duty, and was stationed in the Pacific Theatre at the end of World War II.
He was discharged in 1946 and enrolled at several colleges, and attended a Baltimore Colts football training camp, before relocating to Memphis, Tennessee with his wife, Oneida.
[6] Carpenter began his career in education while at the University of Florida, serving as an economics instructor as well as Assistant Director of Housing.
[11] As president Carpenter oversaw the development of the school's 1,000-acre woodland tract on Jacksonville's Southside and the construction of the first buildings.