Born in Atlanta, Ga., Carl Seldon excelled in the classroom and in athletics as he started at Henry McNeal Turner High School in Atlanta as an eighth grader. While at Turner High, he played on the varsity golf and basketball teams, serving as captain of both squads and was named most valuable player.
After graduating high school, he stayed home and enrolled at Clark College (now Clark Atlanta University), where he continued with golf and basketball. He would serve as captain of the golf team all four years, leading his team to victory at the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) four-straight years. He was also captain of the basketball team his senior year.
Once he earned a degree in economics in 1963, and then enlisted in the United States Army. During his two-year enlistment, Seldon was a member of the 3rd United Army golf and basketball teams. He completed his military service with an honorable discharge in 1965.
Upon returning to Atlanta, Seldon quickly returned to competitive golf by playing on African American golf tours. Success on the golf course continued as he won two Southern Opener Championships, as well as the 1969 Lee Elder Tournament. In 1974, he joined the PGA of America as the first African American to do so in the state of Georgia, where he would later become a Life Member.
Seldon joined the City of Atlanta golf courses as its head golf professional in 1979. As a way of giving back to the game, he served as a volunteer instructor at John A. White Golf Course in Atlanta with the First Tee Program, and for the Atlanta Pro-Duffers Golf Club. There he was involved with the Hook-A-Kid Summer Program, which stands for the promotion of junior minority golf programs enabling interested youth to receive a high level of exposure to the fundamentals and character-building principles of the game of golf.
Seldon was an active member of both the Turner High and Clark Atlanta alumni programs. He was also a strong supporter and community service advocate for the Dixie Hills community in Atlanta.
In recognition of his service and success in the game, Seldon was inducted into the National Black Golf Hall of Fame in 1990. He is also a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Hall of Fame and the Clark Atlanta Athletic Boosters Association Hall of Fame.
Seldon passed away on July 1, 2020.