Plains, GA – The only man to ever reach a century of life after serving in the nation’s highest office has finally met his end.
James Earl Carter, Jr., known to the world as Jimmy, died on Dec. 29 at age 100 after two years in hospice care due to failing health. He is survived by his four children: Jack, Chip, Jeff, and Amy; 11 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife Rosalynn and one of their grandchildren.
Carter was born on October 1, 1924 in the very small town he will rest in: Plains, Georgia. While the town was small, his mother was a nurse, which gave him something that no prior president had, and that was being born in a hospital. All his predecessors did not have that luxury.
As a youth, he worked on his family’s peanut farm. After graduating from high school, he would start his collegiate career at Georgia Southwestern College before heading over to what is now known as Georgia Tech. Eventually, he got his wish to join the Naval Academy, where he would meet his wife for decades, Rosalynn.
After bouncing around the country due to his Naval commitments, he and Rosalynn would end up back at his parents home, as peanut farmers.
Carter was firmly pro-civil rights, and began his political career in 1962, challenging for an open Senate seat. He eventually won the seat after another election was held due to fraud in the previous contest against opponent Homer Moore.
Over time, Carter would climb the political ladder in the Peach State, and was sworn into the Governor’s office in January 1971. Then, with the turmoil of Richard Nixon’s dirty deeds permeating Washington, DC, Carter had an opening to run for President. With Gerald Ford damaged by the association to his predecessor, Carter won the 1976 Presidential Election.
Although Carter gave the nation a reprieve from the scandalous prior leadership, his tenure as POTUS was riddling with problems. The Iran hostage crisis, gas shortages, stagflation and more made him ripe for a challenge by California Governor Ronald Reagan, who trounced him in the 1980 Election. The only reason the defeat was not as hard was that four years later, his Vice President Walter Mondale only managed to win one state and DC against Reagan in 1984.
Carter may have been a one-and-done President, but his greatest work came after the White House, bringing a welcomed presence of diplomacy around the work. He brokered peace deals and inspired others to come to the table. In 2002, his efforts were powerful enough to earn the Nobel Peace Prize. Among his best collaborations was with Habitat for Humanity, providing housing for many needy people.
Statement from President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
“America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman, and humanitarian.
“Over six decades, we had the honor of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well.
“With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us. He saved, lifted, and changed the lives of people all across the globe.
“He was a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism. We will always cherish seeing him and Rosalynn together. The love shared between Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter is the definition of partnership and their humble leadership is the definition of patriotism.
“We will miss them both dearly, but take solace knowing they are reunited once again and will remain forever in our hearts.
“To the entire Carter family, we send our gratitude for sharing them with America and the world. To their staff – from the earliest days to the final ones – we have no doubt that you will continue to do the good works that carry on their legacy.
“And to all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility. He showed that we are great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.
“To honor a great American, I will be ordering an official state funeral to be held in Washington D.C. for James Earl Carter, Jr., 39th President of the United States, 76th Governor of Georgia, Lieutenant of the United States Navy, graduate of the United States Naval Academy, and favorite son of Plains, Georgia, who gave his full life in service to God and country.”
Statement from President Donald J. Trump
“I just heard of the news about the passing of President Jimmy Carter. Those of us who have been fortunate to have served as President understand this is a very exclusive club, and only we can relate to the enormous responsibility of leading the Greatest Nation in History.
“The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.
“Melania and I are thinking warmly of the Carter Family and their loved ones during this difficult time. We urge everyone to keep them in their hearts and prayers.”
Statement from President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
“Hillary and I mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter and give thanks for his long, good life. Guided by his faith, President Carter lived to serve others – until the very end.
“From his commitment to civil rights as a state senator and governor of Georgia; to his efforts as President to protect our natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, make energy conservation a national priority, return the Panama Canal to Panama, and secure peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David; to his post-Presidential efforts at the Carter Center supporting honest elections, advancing peace, combating disease, and promoting democracy; to his and Rosalynn’s devotion and hard work at Habitat for Humanity – he worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world.
“Hillary and I met President Carter in 1975 and were proud, early supporters of his Presidential campaign. I will always be proud to have presented the Medal of Freedom to him and Rosalynn in 1999, and to have worked with him in the years after he left the White House.
“Our prayers are with Jack, Chip, Jeff, Amy, and their families.”
Statement from President Barack Obama
“For decades, you could walk into Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia on some Sunday mornings and see hundreds of tourists from around the world crammed into the pews. And standing in front of them, asking with a wink if there were any visitors that morning, would be President Jimmy Carter – preparing to teach Sunday school, just like he had done for most of his adult life.
“Some who came to hear him speak were undoubtedly there because of what President Carter accomplished in his four years in the White House – the Camp David Accords he brokered that reshaped the Middle East; the work he did to diversify the federal judiciary, including nominating a pioneering women’s rights activist and lawyer named Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the federal bench; the environmental reforms he put in place, becoming one of the first leaders in the world to recognize the problem of climate change.
“Others were likely there because of what President Carter accomplished in the longest, and most impactful, post-presidency in American history – monitoring more than 100 elections around the world; helping virtually eliminate Guinea worm disease, an infection that had haunted Africa for centuries; becoming the only former president to earn a Nobel Peace Prize; and building or repairing thousands of homes in more than a dozen countries with his beloved Rosalynn as part of Habitat for Humanity.
“But I’m willing to bet that many people in that church on Sunday morning were there, at least in part, because of something more fundamental: President Carter’s decency.
“Elected in the shadow of Watergate, Jimmy Carter promised voters that he would always tell the truth. And he did – advocating for the public good, consequences be damned. He believed some things were more important than reelection – things like integrity, respect, and compassion. Because Jimmy Carter believed, as deeply as he believed anything, that we are all created in God’s image.
“Whenever I had a chance to spend time with President Carter, it was clear that he didn’t just profess these values. He embodied them. And in doing so, he taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service. In his Nobel acceptance speech, President Carter said, ‘God gives us the capacity for choice. We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace.’ He made that choice again and again over the course of his 100 years, and the world is better for it.
“Maranatha Baptist Church will be a little quieter on Sundays, but President Carter will never be far away – buried alongside Rosalynn next to a willow tree down the road, his memory calling all of us to heed our better angels. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from this remarkable man.”
Statement from President George W. Bush
“Laura and I send our heartfelt condolences to Jack, Chip, Jeff, Amy, and the entire Carter family.
“James Earl Carter, Jr., was a man of deeply held convictions. He was loyal to his family, his community, and his country. President Carter dignified the office. And his efforts to leave behind a better world didn’t end with the presidency. His work with Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center set an example of service that will inspire Americans for generations.
“We join our fellow citizens in giving thanks for Jimmy Carter and in prayer for his family.”
