Louis Carter, State Banking Overseer, Dies

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Banks Louis Carter, who built a reputation within the banking industry as a forthright administrator during a difficult period, died Tuesday in his home after a brief illness. He was 53.

State officials who announced his death gave no immediate cause, but friends said Carter had been suffering from cancer.

Carter, who also served in the Administration of former Gov. Ronald Reagan, was appointed to the top post in the Department of State Banking in May, 1983, by Gov. George Deukmejian. The department charters and oversees the operations of banks in California.

In a statement, Deukmejian said Carter was “a good friend who served the people of California with distinction during the past four years.”

“He was a gentleman and a dedicated professional who performed his responsibilities effectively and responsibly,” the governor said.

“I found him to be one of the most knowledgeable persons of the Administration and a great friend,” said Sen. Rose Ann Vuich (D-Dinuba), chairwoman of the Senate Banking and Commerce Committee.

Immediately prior to his appointment by Deukmejian, Carter was a vice president of Crocker National Bank. During the Reagan Administration in the early 1970s, he directed a job-training program for the governor’s office.

He is survived by his wife, Dora, two daughters and a son.