William Ernest Carter (June 19, 1875 – March 20, 1940) was an American millionaire, polo player, and survivor of the RMS Titanic.

[1] His parents were Cordelia "Nellie" Miranda Redington and William Thornton Carter (1827–1893), a coal and iron baron.

[1] He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a member of the class of 1896 and Fraternity of Delta Psi (St. Anthony Hall).

[8] The couple initially lived at 1910 Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, but their country residence Gwedna in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, soon became their main home.

[1] In May 1911, the Carter family sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania to attend the coronation celebration of King George V and Queen Mary, and stayed for the polo and hunting seasons.

[1] They were traveling with Carter's manservant, Alexander Cairns, and Lucile's maid or governess, Augusta Serreplaà.

[9] Carter's 25 horsepower Renault Towncar Type CB Coupe de Ville was in the forward hold.

[11] On April 14, the night the ship struck the iceberg, the Carters attended a dinner party held in honor of Captain Smith in the à la carte restaurant.

[9][2] Lucile told the Baltimore Sun, "I kissed my husband good-bye and as he stood on the deck I went down the side of the lifeboat.

[1] At this point, J. Bruce Ismay, the managing director of the White Star Line, stepped aboard Lifeboat C, along with Carter.

Other sources suggest the more likely scenario that it was his mother in response to Chief Second Steward George Dodd's order that no more boys were to enter Lifeboat 4.

"[1] The Washington Times reported that Carter was "much shaken by his experience and his face showed lines of suffering.

"[14] Carter was controversial as a male survivor of the Titanic, in part because he got in the last lifeboat with Ismay, who many thought should have gone down with his company's ship.

[18] Although most news accounts say Carter received a "slight concussion," it appears he was actually in a coma, as he was still unconscious days later.

[12] Lucile also claimed Carter frequently boxed her ears, once kicked her in the back, cheated on her with other women, and "was nearly always drunk.

"[23] Lucile told a newspaper "On one occasion, my husband picked up a grasshopper and began pulling out its legs, and when I remonstrated with him, he dashed into the house and procured a horsewhip and proceeded to lash me with it.

[23] However, once the newspapers made Lucile's claims public, Carter did counter, saying he helped his wife, Mrs. Astor, and Mrs. Widener onto their lifeboat.

[7] In 1925, Carter purchased a property in Unionville, Chester County, Pennsylvania, where he built a lodge with adjacent old-wood riparian forests where he could hunt.

[9] Carter's Renault was the setting of Jack and Rose's love scene in James Cameron’s 1997 film Titanic.