The thirty-ninth President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, passed away on December 29th, 2024, at the age of 100 in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. From winning the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize to establishing the Panama Canal Peace Treaties, Carter’s life was full of accomplishments and hard work until his dying day.
Jimmy Carter was born in 1924 to Earl Carter, the owner of a peanut farm, and Lillian Carter, a nurse. In 1946, Carter became the only President to graduate from the Naval Academy, graduating with naval distinction, after which he was assigned to USS Wyoming (E-AG 17) as an ensign. He served in the inactive Navy Reserve until 1961 and left the service with the rank of lieutenant. Carter earned multiple awards from the Naval Services including the World War II Victory Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.
In 1946, he married Rosalynn Carter, who became a prominent advocate for mental health reform, women’s rights, and global humanitarian causes, and they remained married until Rosalynn passed away in 2023. They had four children: Amy, James, Donnel, and Jack Carter.
Jimmy Carter’s political career began in 1963 when he became a Georgia State Senator, a position he held till 1967. Carter favored racial tolerance and integration, voting in the Brown v. Board of Education ruling. In 1971, Carter was sworn in as Governor of Georgia saying in his inaugural speech, “The time for racial discrimination is over.”
Carter announced he was running for president in December 1974 and spent two years building up his campaign. At the Democratic Convention, he won the nomination on the primary ballot with running mate Senator Walter Mondale of Minnesota. Carter went up against President Gerald Ford and after three debates, won the election with 297 electoral votes to Ford’s 241.
Carter achieved success during his presidency tackling the energy crisis with a national energy policy. He decontrolled petroleum prices and promoted government efficiency through civil service reform. He also expanded the National Park system, protecting 103 million acres of Alaskan land, and created the Department of Education while strengthening Social Security.
Internationally, Carter championed human rights, orchestrated the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, and secured the Panama Canal treaties which were both major successes. He negotiated the SALT II treaty with the Soviet Union (an agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union signed in 1979 that aimed to limit the number of strategic nuclear weapons each nation could deploy.) However, setbacks like the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Iran hostage crisis, combined with domestic inflation, led to his loss in the 1980 election. Despite these challenges, he successfully negotiated the release of the American hostages on the day he left office.
After leaving the White House, Jimmy Carter focused on humanitarian work through the Carter Center, which he co-founded in 1982. He worked to improve global health, promote human rights, and resolve conflicts.
Carter played a key role in eradicating diseases like Guinea Worm Disease, helping to reduce its cases by over 99%. He also remained active with Habitat for Humanity, helping build homes for the homeless. Known for his kindness and dedication to peace, Carter’s post-presidential life has been marked by a commitment to service, earning him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his efforts in diplomacy and human rights.
Jimmy Carter left behind a legacy of kindness, service, and global impact always devoting his life to helping others. He will be deeply missed, with flags flown at half-mast in his honor. His funeral took place on January 9th, 2025 with all five living presidents in attendance as the world mourned the loss of a man whose compassion and dedication touched countless lives across the United States.
