Ellis and Carter to be 2010 Distinguished Alumni
Published or Revised September 01, 2010
Two former Paris Junior College students, Elmer G. Ellis and Jack E. Carter, have been selected as PJC's 2010 Distinguished Alumni. They will be feted at the 86th Annual Homecoming Luncheon Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010. "These two gentlemen are well known in their respective professional circles and have brought recognition to PJC throughout their careers," said PJC President Dr. Pam Anglin. "Justice Carter serves as a member of the Sixth Court of Appeals based in Texarkana, and Mr. Ellis is president and chief executive officer of East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System, Tyler." Justice Carter was elected to his current position as justice, Sixth District Court of Appeals, in 2002 and took office in 2003. A native of Detroit and graduate of Clarksville High School, he attended PJC 1961-62 and 1962-63. While at PJC, he took English, debate, and history and was convinced the legal profession was the direction for him. He went on to graduate from the University of Texas in 1965 and the UT School of Law in 1967 and began practicing law in Texarkana that same year. Carter remained in private practice until 1981, when Gov. William P. (Bill) Clements appointed him as district judge. He went on to be re-elected to serve in that capacity for almost 22 years as the district judge of the Fifth Judicial District Court in Bowie and Cass counties. Other justices who serve with Carter are Chief Justice Josh R. Morriss III and Justice Bailey C. Moseley. In recent years, the justices have conducted sessions of the Sixth District Court on the campus of PJC as a courtesy to both plaintiffs and defendants and have made themselves available to students and faculty following the sessions to better educate them on the judicial system. The Sixth District Court of Appeals serves a 19-county area in Northeast Texas. Normally, court sessions are held in Texarkana. During his tenure as judge Carter played a key role in creating of the Northeast Texas Court Appointed Special Advocates for children program. Additionally, he developed a seminar for divorcing parents in his two primary counties called, "Let's Talk About Kids — Seminar on D.I.V.O.R.C.E. — The Children's Perspective." He also helped institute the Northeast Texas Restitution Center, enabling those convicted of crimes to work and repay the victims of their crimes. He is active in the Central Christian Church, serving as board moderator, and has been on the advisory boards of the YWCA Kid's Exchange, Texarkana Independent School Board's Community Board, Federal Correction Institute Community Board and the Caddo Area Council for the Boy Scouts of America. Carter actively supports the work of his wife Joan, who has served as the development coordinator for Opportunities Inc., a charitable organization which serves developmentally disabled children and adults. He is married to his childhood sweetheart, Joan Varley of Clarksville. The couple has three grown children: Sondra, an educator in Texarkana, and sons Clay and Justin who are involved in business endeavors in Tulsa, Okla., and Fort Worth, respectively. They are the proud grandparents of four grandchildren. Mr. Ellis attended PJC from 1958-59, 1959-60, and the summer semesters in 1960 and 1962. He was called to active duty in 1961 as a member of the Texas National Guard/Army. He served one year of active duty and continued for five years as a member of the Texas National Guard Reserves, returning to PJC in the summer of 1962 to continue his education. Following his time at PJC, he completed his BBA and MBA at East Texas State University and began a career in healthcare administration at St. Joseph's Hospital in Paris. He joined ETMC in 1968 and his career has thus far spanned 46 years. Under Ellis' leadership, ETMC has grown into one of the State's preeminent not-for-profit health systems and is recognized as one of the "Top 5" East Texas companies in size with gross annual revenues of $3.3 billion and with over 15 hospitals throughout East Texas, in addition to medical clinics, emergency medical services, specialty services hospital, home health, rehabilitation center, inpatient and outpatient behavioral health center, regional trauma network and additional patient-minded services. ETMC creates over 9,000 jobs and treats more than 1.1 million patients annually. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and former chairman of the Texas Hospital Association and was selected as the Earl M. Collier Award winner for Distinguished Healthcare Administration from the Texas Hospital Association. He has received numerous honors from throughout East Texas and has been honored by the Boy Scouts of America with their "Good Turn" Award, inducted into the Junior Achievement of Tyler's "Business Hall of Fame," American College of Healthcare Executives receiving both the Regent's Award and Senior Level Healthcare Executive Award, and is a Paul Harris Fellow presented by the Tyler Rotary Club. He was appointed by then-Gov. George W. Bush to the Texas Board of Vocational Nursing and was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus of Texas A&M University — Commerce/East Texas State University. Tickets for the luncheon are $15 per person and can be purchased from the office of Institutional Advancement and Alumni Affairs located in the Rheudasil Learning Center. For more information, call 903-782-0291. Underwriting for the luncheon is also available. All funds generated from the underwriting will be used to create endowed scholarships in the names of Carter and Ellis.