 Alden "Butch" Carpenter
1999 Greater Flint
Afro-American Hall of Fame Inductee
Category: FOOTBALL
Parents: Samuel and Arie Lee Carpenter
Wife: Vivian
Butch Carpenter was born in Flint, Michigan, and attended Roosevelt
Elementary, Whittier Junior High and graduated from Flint Southwestern.
He received a scholarship to the University of Michigan, where he played
football and completed his education.
Alden came from a family of great athletes. His father Sam Carpenter
was inducted into the Greater Flint Afro-American Hall of Fame in 1997,
and his brother Brian played for the University of Michigan, was drafted
by the Dallas Cowboys and ended up with the Super Bowl Washington Red
Skins.
Alden was a two sports athlete at Flint Southwestern, playing football
and basketball. In football he made First Team All Valley, was voted
MVP and was co-captain of his team. After High School Alden was awarded
a football scholarship to the University of Michigan. For three years
he started at defensive end and was captain of a team that won 11 games
and lost none in the regular season. One of the highlights in Alden's
football career was in the 1972 Rose Bowl when he sacked the quarterback
from Stanford. That Rose Bowl game regretfully was to be his final
performance. He attended The University of Michigan Law School and
had aspirations of becoming a lawyer. However, that was not meant to
be. Alden collapsed while playing basketball, and died on February
2, 1978 at the age of 28.
His untimely death meant to some the loss of a fine athlete to others
a fine student, but to all his death meant the loss of a fine friend.
On February 21, 1978 the Black Law Student Alliance unanimously voted
to establish in his honor the Alden "Butch" Carpenter Memorial
Fund, to assist first year law students at the University of Michigan
who are victims of historical social discrimination.
Alden "Butch" Carpenter made his mark in Flint's sports
history. Gone but not forgotten.
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