[2] A newsman, who later operated a public relations firm, he began as a journalist, helping to edit the Philadelphia Tribune and "The Afro-American".

Prior to his ambassadorial assignments, as a career officer in the United States Foreign Service, Carter served in Kenya shortly after independence and in Nigeria during the Biafra War.

In addition to his official State department duties, he served as a private citizen on the United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities from 1972 until his death.

Carter's tenure as ambassador to Tanzania ended in controversy over his role in the negotiations for the release of four students (3 Americans from Stanford University, 1 Dutch) kidnapped by rebel leader & future president Laurent Kabila from Zaire.

Following intense public and congressional pressure, including a New York Times editorial, Ambassador Carter was promoted and assigned to Liberia.

In 1971, Carter married Carlyn Butler Brown (maiden), widow of William Godfrey Pogue (1921–1968), from whom he was separated at the time of his death.