Page 4 - William Carson

Deeply fascinated with mathematics, William David Carson Jr. had always aspired to pursue a career where he would be able to properly blend his passion for
numbers with the field of engineering.
CARSON
Engineer and Apple Orchard Owner
He graduated as the valedictorian of his high school, and went on to graduate from Purdue University, which was at
the forefront of astronautics at the time. He then continued his education by completing a Master of Science degree in Engineering. After this, Mr. Carson earned distinction as a rocket scientist for more than three decades.
While working as a rocket scientist, Mr. Carson had an extraordinary impact on space exploration as he was responsible for developing software that launched rockets to Saturn and guided rockets to the moon. He also worked on the Patriot Missile System, the Global Positioning System (GPS), Ground Segment, and IBM’s air traffic control. Mr. Carson would not retire from this role until 1993, with his last position in the field being that of vice president of the Federal Systems Division of IBM.
Following his retirement, Mr. Carson and his family purchased the Historic Orchard at Altapass in North Carolina. Presently,
the Orchard is a nonprofit public charity where he serves as the chief executive officer. In his current position, Mr. Carson is a qualified storyteller and often educates visitors about the American history of the site.
For his work at the Orchard, Mr. Carson received the Charles J. Parker Award
for outstanding contributions to the development and promotion of the travel industry of North Carolina. He was also named as a Volunteer of the Year by the Blue Ridge Parkway and received the Esse Quam Videri, (which in Latin means, “To be, rather than to seem”) the highest award from the North Carolina Tourism department. Throughout the course of his career, he has attributed his success to his propensity for solving problems. Looking toward the future, Mr. Carson aspires
to enter his second retirement when he is able to leave the Orchard with strong leadership.