Elected to oust President Richard Nixon after the Watergate scandal, former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter ran for office as a Washington outsider and the White House with a strong sense of ethics, an engineer's mind, and a progressive, liberal Reached. Approach to governance.
Carter died on Sunday at the age of 100 going into hospice care He died in February 2023 at his home in Plains, Georgia. He served only one term in office, but dedicated the decades that followed to improving the lives of countless people in America and around the world.
He faced massive crises during his presidency – skyrocketing oil prices, double-digit interest rates and inflation, and the Iran hostage crisis – and his failure to address them effectively resulted in his re-election in 1980. His failure to win. He also had some major crisis achievements, including negotiating a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel.
But his widely acclaimed post-presidency, characterized by tireless peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts, is likely to be his most enduring legacy.
After leaving office in 1981, Carter became a key diplomatic figure, securing the release of political prisoners in Nicaragua in 1986 and American Ejalon Gomes from North Korea in 2010. He served as a negotiator with North Korea during the Clinton administration, and even offered His services to then-President Trump in negotiations with North Korea.
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With his wife Rosalynn Carter – who Died at the age of 96 November 19, 2023 – He founded the Carter Center in 1982, a nonprofit human rights organization that took the alleviation of human suffering as its overarching mission. Through the work of the Carter Center, he dedicates himself to preventing and resolving global conflicts, promoting freedom and democracy, and improving the health of millions of people around the world.
Among other initiatives, the Carter Center has monitored and helped lead efforts to conduct free and fair elections in dozens of countries in the developing world. Global efforts to eliminate Guinea worm diseaseWhich spread through unfiltered drinking water and sickened millions of people across Africa.
Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his work in advancing democracy and human rights through the Carter Center.
“I would say we have changed the lives of millions of people, primarily in the world's poorest and most deprived and forgotten communities,” he said. told cbs newsRita Brewer in a 2006 interview.
The Carters worked for decades with Habitat for Humanity to build homes for those in need. Carter first joined in 1984 and was active in building homes with the organization for decades. The next day he collapsed at his Plains, Georgia home. in October 2019Due to which his eye became black and he got stitches. age 95 yearsCarter nevertheless traveled to Tennessee to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.
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He and Rosalynn sponsored the Carter Work Project at Habitat for Humanity for more than 30 years. according to OrganizationThe Carters have “worked with 104,000 volunteers in 14 countries to build, renovate and repair 4,390 homes.”
A devout Christian, the former president also made an impact on his local community as a teacher. He taught Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains until almost the end of his life. He also taught at Emory University in Atlanta for nearly 40 years.
Carter acknowledged that his post-presidency activities have brought him greater respect than his experience in office.
He said in it, “Certainly my reputation in the later years of my presidency has been better than in the White House.” 2006 interview“But I think when people look back at what we did in the White House, I think there's a lot of pride there.”
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Throughout his presidency, he was not afraid to speak out whenever he was troubled by the policies of those who succeeded him in the White House. He was an early and vocal critic of the war in Iraq under President George W. Bush, and opposed the Obama administration's use of drone strikes to target suspected terrorists.
He criticized Trump “got worse“Racial Tension and Survival”careless of truth,” told John Dickerson of CBS News in 2018, “I think I've done a lot of good work during my campaign and my presidency without ever lying to people or making any knowingly false statements, and I think that's a good thing to do in politics. It will be a very meaningful day to be included again.” He said he wished Trump well “and I pray for him.”
Carter joined fellow former presidents in condemning the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, marking one year since the insurrection. by writing: “I fear now that what we have fought so hard to achieve globally – the right to free, fair elections, unfettered by powerful politicians who want nothing more than to increase their power – will be lost at home. But it has become dangerously fragile. …For American democracy to endure, we must demand that our leaders and candidates uphold the ideals of freedom and adhere to high standards of conduct.”
Carter wrote 33 books, including memoirs of her life and career, as well as books on other topics such as faith and aging.
He and Rosalynn Carter were married for 77 years, and were known for their devotion to each other. His four children and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren survive.
