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.
