Lester W. Carter*
Class of 1956
- President American Hotel Association
I learned as much as I could about the hotel business, and that took me to the top.
Lester Carter began his career as a bellboy, where he dreamed of managing a hotel. His career was interrupted briefly during World War II. While he was overseas, he joined the Fred Harvey organization so that he could learn about the food service business.
After returning to the United States, Carter jumped into hotel ownership by building the Frontier Hotel in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It prospered, and through skillful investment, he acquired control of a series of hotels, forming the Western Hotel chain. He also ventured into apartment management. By 1970, Western Hotels had 38 locations and was one of the nation's leading independent hotel operators. Its partners then separated, with one branch becoming Great Western Hotels (later known as Best Western) and the other managing apartments.
Carter later became president of the American Hotel Association.