Russell Kelso Carter was born on November 18, 1849 and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland.  He attended Pennsylvania Military Academy and graduated in 1867.  In this year, Carter was one of the first cadets to graduate with a degree in Civil Engineering.  Cater was also a member of PMA's first baseball team, which started in 1866.  Serving as pitcher, he is described as "one of the cleverest of the early pitchers at the school." After graduating, Carter remained at PMA where he taught Natural Sciences and Chemistry until 1872.   After a three-year respite, where he went California to raise sheep, he returned to PMA and taught Mathematics and Civil Engineering.  In 1878, Carter developed a course that warranted the conferring of a degree in Chemistry. He was appointed chair of the Civil Engineering Department in 1881 and held that position until his resignation in 1887.  Carter is regarded as bringing a fine mathematical ability to his chairmanship.  While teaching at PMA, Carter also served at the first president of the Alumni Association, holding this post from 1873 to 1874 and again from 1878 to 1879. After resigning from PMA, Carter became an ordained Methodist minister and then he became a physician in Baltimore, Maryland. During his many career changes, Carter wrote prolifically on religion, mathematics and science. Of the major works published by R. Kelso Carter, at least five books were about holiness and faith healing, seven about Christianity and science, one about medicine, one about missions, three were hymnals, and four were novels. In Hymns of the Christian Life published in 1891, Carter wrote the words and music for 52 hymns, the music for 44 hymns by other writers, and adapted music for 25 other hymns. The most beloved hymn written by R. Kelso Carter is Standing on the Promises, contained in the 1885 hymnal, Songs of Perfect Love. R. Kelso Carter died on August 23, 1928.  In this year he was the oldest living alumnus of PMA.  Today, Widener University continues to honor Carter by bestowing the R. Kelso Carter Award each year on a U.S. citizen (other than a graduate of PMC or Widener) who "in the opinion of the Alumni Association, has through acts and accomplishments brought honor to the college.

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