William James Carney ’41

Bill died April 21, 2005.

A graduate of Chicago Latin School, he won honors in the Department of Economics at Princeton. He joined Cloister Inn and was captain of the polo team, on the skeet team, and in ROTC. He roomed with Hal Jerry for two years, and senior year roomed with Poole and Zed Brown.

In 1941, Bill was assigned as a second lieutenant to the Third Armored Division. He fought through five campaigns in Europe and by V-E Day was commander of the division, the youngest lieutenant colonel in World War II. He received the Bronze Star, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Belgian Fourrasie, and the German Occupation ribbon. Bill admitted he was lucky; in his division of approximately 15,000 men, there were almost 13,000 casualties, and he was not among them!

Postwar, Bill was the founding partner of Carney Management Co., an investment-management firm. He served as a director of Superior Graineries for 31 years and was involved in real estate development in Chicago and Jacksonville. He also was a nationally ranked polo player in the 1950s and 1960s.

Bill is survived by his wife of 57 years, Kyle Adams Carney; four daughters, Keven Wilder, Kyle Gregory, Lisa Stebbins, and Amanda Mabie '85; his son, William Roy Carney; and 14 grandchildren.

The Class of 1941