Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States and a global humanitarian since leaving office, has died at 100. A peanut farmer turned president, Carter’s life was full of historic moments, personal achievements and public service.
He died Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia where he lived most of his life with his wife Rosalynn. He was in hospice care for over a year and Rosalynn passed away in November 2023 at 96. The Carter Center, the organization he founded, announced his death with one sentence: “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia.”
A Life of Service and Humility
Jimmy Carter’s journey from a small town in Georgia to the White House was the American dream. A Naval Academy graduate and a Baptist, Carter combined his faith and brains to make a new kind of politician. After serving as a Georgia state senator and governor he ran for president in 1976 as an unknown. His promise of honesty and integrity struck a chord with a country recovering from Watergate and Vietnam and he beat Gerald Ford by a hair.
His presidency was marked by Cold War, economic trouble and big diplomacy. His biggest achievement was brokering the Camp David Accords in 1978 when he got Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to sit down and make a peace deal. But his term was also plagued by the Iran hostage crisis and inflation and he lost in 1980.
Redefining the Post-Presidency
After leaving office Carter began a new chapter of service that would be his lasting legacy. He established The Carter Center focusing on human rights, democracy and global health. Carter’s humanitarian work earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his work in conflict resolution and disease eradication.
In his 90s he was still building houses with Habitat for Humanity, teaching Sunday school and going on diplomatic missions. His famous phrase “My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can” sums up a life of purpose and compassion.
He was a man of humility, service and good. Rest in peace. His legacy will inspire us for years to come.
