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1. Jason Berggren

Note: D. Jason Berggren is a professor of political science at Georgia Southwestern State University. His wife, Bonnie K. Levine-Berggren, assisted with the proofreading and organization. As part of the Americus Times-Recorder’s historical coverage of Jimmy Carter, this article and the accompanying images are dedicated to his memory, his life, and his political career.

Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, the 76th governor of Georgia, and the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, died peacefully on Sunday, December 29, 2024, at his home in Plains with his family. At age 100, he was the oldest living president in U.S. history.

President Carter will be buried in Plains across the street from his home on Woodland Drive, near a fishing pond and Mrs. Carter’s garden. There he joins his wife, Rosalynn, who died in November 2023.

The Carters were married on July 7, 1946, at the Plains Methodist Church. Longer than any other presidential couple, they had an incredible marriage of seventy-seven years. He once said, “the best thing I ever did was marry Rosalynn. That’s the pinnacle of my life…that’s the best thing that happened to me.” According to their grandson Jason Carter, the former first couple spent many of their final days and weeks together holding hands, watching Atlanta Braves baseball, and eating peanut butter ice cream.

The former president is survived by his four children (John William “Jack”, James Earl “Chip”, Donnel Jeffrey “Jeff”, and Amy Lynn), 11 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, cousins, nieces and nephews, and other family members.

On October 1, 1924, James Earl Carter, Jr., was born in Plains at the Wise Sanitarium. He was the first president to be born in a hospital. He was the firstborn child of James Earl Carter, Sr. (1894-1953) and Bessie Lillian Gordy (1898-1983). His father, “Mr. Earl,” born in Arlington, Ga., was an Army veteran of World War I, a farmer, businessman, landowner, and a local politician. His mother, “Miss Lillian,” born in Richland, Ga., was a registered nurse and many years later was a volunteer in the Peace Corps.

Carter was preceded in death by his wife, one grandchild, his parents, and his three siblings. He had two sisters and one brother: Gloria Carter Spann (1926-1990), Ruth Carter Stapleton (1929-1983), and William “Billy” Alton Carter (1937-1988).

Carter was raised in Archery, a mostly African American community, on the edge of Plains. The family moved to a small farm there in 1928 and he lived there until he went off to college. Some of his closest friends, acquaintances, and role models of his youth were black. Among them were Jack and Rachel Clark, Bishop William Decker Johnson, Annie Mae Hollis, Alonzo “A.D.” Davis, and Willis Wright.

Carter received his education at Plains High School, an all-white comprehensive public school for grades 1-11. He graduated in June 1941. He particularly liked reading and played basketball. Located in the western part of Sumter County, Plains was a small rural school built in 1921 with about 200-250 students. According to the county’s superintendent’s 1940-1941 report to the state, Plains had an enrollment of 226 students. Carter’s graduating class had only 26 students. There were fourteen girls and twelve boys. The theme for his graduation was, “Building for Today and Tomorrow.” Carter was one of four students who spoke on the topic. His presentation was entitled, “The Building of a Community.”

Carter liked school. In his book, An Hour Before Daylight, he said, “Our Plains High School was superb.” For this, he particularly credited Miss Julia Coleman, the school superintendent and an English teacher. She was his favorite and served the school for nearly fifty years. He even quoted her in his 1977 Inaugural Address. After he thank President Gerald Ford for his service and his leadership after Watergate and Richard Nixon’s resignation, he said, “In this outward and physical ceremony, we attest once again to the inner and spiritual strength of our Nation. As my high school teacher, Miss Julia Coleman, used to say, ‘We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles.’”

For college, Carter attended Georgia Southwestern College in Americus for a year. He wrote, “In September 1941, I left home and moved into the dormitory.” He lived at Terrell Hall and played intramural basketball. He ultimately wanted to go to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He said it was “almost an obsession.” To improve his chances of admission, he took courses “recommended in the Annapolis guidebook for prospective midshipmen.” The following school year, Carter left Sumter County and attended Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

In 1943, Carter finally secured his recommendation from his U.S. Congressman Stephen Pace (1937-1951) and was accepted into Annapolis. He was a student there until his graduation in June 1946. Afterwards, he served seven years in a naval uniform (1946-1953).

After Ulysses Grant and Dwight Eisenhower, Carter was the third U.S. president to graduate from one of the military academies. Grant and Eisenhower, however, went to West Point. Through the years, he enjoyed the classic Army-Navy football game and the great success the Midshipmen have had the past twenty years or so over their service rival.

By 1953, Lieutenant Carter was a submariner and was in training to become an engineering officer for the USS Seawolf. At one point in his naval career, he served under the “Father of the Nuclear Navy,” Captain Hyman G. Rickover (later an admiral). Carter’s 1976 presidential campaign autobiography, Why Not the Best, was inspired by an exchange the two once had. In 1980, Carter awarded his mentor the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

After his father passed away in June 1953, Carter wanted to return home. He requested an honorable discharge from military service and it was granted in October.

In a short time, Carter decided to follow in his father’s footsteps. He became a community leader and got into politics. He became a deacon at the Plains Baptist Church and taught Sunday school. He joined local clubs and local boards.

In December 1955, Carter’s political career began. At age 31, he was selected by a county grand jury to serve on the Sumter County Board of Education. It was the same seat his father once held for more than a decade until his death. When the seat became vacant in November 1955, Carter’s former school principal, Y. T. Sheffield, recommended him to the grand jury.

The school board was Carter’s first political position and it was the longest he would hold in his political career. He served for a little more than seven years. He served until January 1963. His last meeting was held at Americus High School. It was a joint meeting between the county and city boards to discuss school improvements and the prospects of consolidation.

It was a controversial and consequential time. Carter served in the immediate years after the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case was decided. Although the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that requiring racially segregated schools was unconstitutional, school boards across the Georgia and South faced the challenge of what to do. During Carter’s time on the board, ending segregation in the Sumter County schools was not yet politically viable. Instead, Carter and the board opted to support the material equalization of black and white schools. Ultimately, Sumter County public schools would not desegregate until 1966 and full-on integration would not commence until 1970.

In 1960, when he became the board’s chairman, Carter, like his father before him, took up the cause of school consolidation. In 1961, he led a referendum campaign to consolidate the Sumter County school and the Americus city schools. On behalf of the two school boards, Carter wrote five articles for the Americus Times-Recorder to explain the pro-consolidation side. This was his first political campaign. It was also his first defeat. While the ballot measure passed in the city, it narrowly failed in the county. To pass, it had to be approved by voters in both school systems. Consolidation’s opponents wanted to protect their community schools and feared it was a leap toward racial integration.

On October 1, 1962, his thirty-eighth birthday, Carter decided to run for the Georgia State Senate. It was his first bid for elective office. His senate district was a new district of seven counties and he thought he might be able to do more for public education at the state-level than if he stayed on the school board.

During his campaign, Carter identified himself as a farmer and a warehouseman. He justified his candidacy to a visiting revivalist as a form of Christian ministry. On October 13, the Americus Times-Recorder endorsed him as “the man for the job” who “will be a fair and earnest representative for all.” Because of his service and leadership on the county school board, the paper said, “Jimmy Carter has shown his courage of conviction and stood for what he considered right,” even if it was unpopular. This was a likely reference to Carter’s role in the 1961 school referendum.

To win the election, Carter not only had to beat his opponent Homer Moore, but he had to overcome election fraud in one of the counties. He proved his case in court and forced a revote. He won the revote with 58 percent of the vote and carried Sumter County with almost 80 percent.

In 1964, Carter was re-elected without opposition to another two-year term. There were indications that he was not content with staying in the Georgia General Assembly. Perhaps, there was more for him to do.

Two years later, in 1966, Carter had his sights on another political office. At first, he strongly considered a bid for the U.S. Congress. In March, he announced his intention to run. He said, “I am confident I can win this race.” He planned to highlight the issues of education, agriculture, taxation, and national defense.

As a Democrat, Carter relished the opportunity to take down the one-term Republican Howard “Bo” Callaway who was elected in 1964 in an open-seat contest. Callaway was one of the “Goldwater Republicans” elected that year in the Deep South. He had been a Democrat but switched parties to back Barry Goldwater for president. For Carter, Callaway was a mere defector.

The two were further divided on the matter of Georgia Southwestern becoming a four-year institution. Carter favored it and Callaway preferred a school in Columbus. In the end, the Sumter County pol prevailed, but a rivalry was born. Come 1966, Carter, the Annapolis graduate, was eager for an electoral fight with Callaway, a West Point graduate. As Rosalynn Carter explained in her book, First Lady from Plains, Callaway was not “one of our favorite public servants.” Carter agreed. In A Full Life, he identified the status of Georgia Southwestern as the key issue that “left some bad feelings between me and Callaway.”

Ultimately, Carter decided to run for governor in 1966. When Callaway switched to compete in the governor’s race, Carter followed. In June, he declared his candidacy from his Woodland Drive home and joined the crowded Democratic primary field. “I was born in Plains, Georgia, not far from Muckalee Creek where my family first settled in 1820. I am a Georgian, and a Southerner, and I am an American. I am a farmer and a businessman. As governor, I shall operate the financial affairs of this State in a conservative business-like manner.” He pledged to make Georgia the number one state in the union and “to blend the traditional values of the Old South with the dynamic spirit of the new.”

To win the party nomination, a candidate needed to earn a majority of the statewide popular vote. If no candidate received that, the top two receiving votes would face off in a runoff election. In the September primary, Carter came in a close third behind former Democratic governor Ellis Arnall and Atlanta restaurateur Lester Maddox. For the Republicans, Congressman Callaway won the gubernatorial primary.

Carter was devastated. He could not believe that God would permit an “archsegregationist” like Maddox to qualify for the runoff and then win it. In the November election, neither Maddox nor Callaway earned a majority. This forced the Georgia General Assembly to decide the race. The Democratic-controlled legislature picked Maddox.

The election loss caused Carter to reevaluate his life and his religious faith. Following discussions with his sister Ruth, who was a faith healer and an evangelist, he rededicated his life to Jesus. He participated in missionary work and read the Bible more often. He also recommitted himself to politics. In A Full Life, he recalled that his mission experiences helped him “apply my Christian faith much more regularly to my secular life.” He was more determined than ever and was ready to seek the governorship in 1970. He remarked, “I did not intend to lose again.”

Unlike 1966, Carter had only one main opponent in the 1970 Democratic primary, former governor Carl Sanders. Sanders was the favorite to win and Carter went right at him. He characterized Sanders as out of touch, effete, and the candidate of the Atlanta establishment. Carter ran as a political outsider and the candidate of rural, small-town, hardworking Georgia who came from a “working-class background” and always held “moderate racial beliefs.”

The contrast worked. Carter bested Sanders in the primary 49 percent to 38 percent. However, a third candidate, civil rights leader C. B. King, peeled off enough votes to deny Carter or Sanders from obtaining a majority. No matter, Carter won the runoff going away, 59 – 41 percent.

In the general election, Carter was opposed by Republican Hal Suit, an Atlanta news broadcaster. It was another 59 – 41 Carter victory. Except for the Atlanta metro area, the former state senator from southwest Georgia carried almost all the state’s 159 counties.

In January 1971, Carter was sworn in as Georgia’s governor. In his address, he boldly proclaimed, “Our people are our most precious possession and we cannot afford to waste the talents and abilities given by God to one single Georgian…I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over.” For Carter, this was the New South. “No poor, weak, or black person should ever have to bear the additional burden of being deprived of the opportunity of an education, a job or simple justice.”

Carter’s inaugural declaration reflected the tone of a whole class of “new South” governors who were elected on an issue platform of economic modernization, improved public education, investment in infrastructure, and equal opportunity for all. In May, the new Georgia governor appeared on a Time magazine front cover. The caption read, “Dixie Whistles a Different Tune.” This was a message Carter had been making since at least his days as a state senator when he spoke at Georgia Southwestern graduation and presented a vision of “an America in which our Southland can find a place of leadership.”

As governor, Carter prioritized issues of government reorganization and streamlining, cutting government waste and inefficiencies, budget reform, education, and mental health. He used his appointment power to include more women and African Americans in state government.

Carter did something else during his four-year term that would assist his rise to the next level in American politics. He had an emerging interest in foreign policy, and in this, he believed that a state governor could conduct a form of international relations. In this he was a political entrepreneur. He demonstrated that modern governors could be more than domestic political actors. He believed that modern travel and globalization made it possible for governors to reach out to the world. In A Full Life, he stated, “Being especially interested in international affairs, I expanded Georgia’s relations with foreign countries, brought more foreign diplomats to Atlanta, persuaded Asian and European companies to invest in new businesses in our state, and established Georgia trade offices in Canada, Japan, Germany, Belgium, and Brazil.”

Governor Carter and the First Lady made two international trips. In 1972, they traveled to Latin America. They visited five countries: Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina. The next year they traveled to Europe and Israel. In Europe, they visited the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, and West Germany. The Carters also made it to the divided city of Berlin. They visited West Berlin and then crossed the Allied checkpoint into communist East Berlin. In Israel, they visited several holy sites associated with Christianity and Judaism and they met with Prime Minister Golda Meir and with the future prime minister, General Yitzhak Rabin.

By 1972, it was clear that Carter had his eyes on something higher. Since he was term-limited to one nonconsecutive term as governor, if he wanted to continue in politics, he needed to plan for it and take advantage of opportunities as they emerged. In the summer, Carter expressed interest in the vice presidency. He said if it was offered, he was open to joining the Democratic national ticket with George McGovern and being the party’s vice-presidential candidate. He was not asked.

In November 1972, Carter advisor Hamilton Jordan wrote a memo outlining a presidential campaign strategy for 1976. He recognized the importance of an early campaign start for Carter and of performing well in early primary contests of New Hampshire and Florida to build momentum and then doing well in contests outside the South to show that Carter was not merely a regional candidate.

On December 12, 1974, Governor Carter formally entered the Democratic Party contest for president. He declared his candidacy at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., and then before a crowd of supporters in Atlanta. After Arizona U.S. Congressman Morris Udall, he was the second to jump in.

At the time, Carter was largely a nationally unknown figure, barely registering in national survey polls. He was “Jimmy who?” One of the major Atlanta newspapers ran a headline that read, “Jimmy’s Running for WHAT?” It was the beginning of an improbable White House run. The headline for the frontpage that day of the Americus Times-Recorder was “Sumter’s Carter Sets Forth Platform for Presidency.”

Carter’s one term as governor ended on January 14, 1975. He was now free to campaign fulltime and he did. He worked hard and hustled to gain attention and traction in the large field of candidates. Carter’s opponents included U.S. senators, U.S. representatives, and state governors. Some of the more notable rivals who declared their candidacy in 1974-1975 were Udall, Washington U.S. senator Henry Jackson, Alabama Governor George Wallace, former vice-presidential nominee Sargent Shriver, Texas U.S. senator Lloyd Bentsen, Indiana U.S. senator Birch Bayh, Oklahoma former U.S. senator Fred Harris, Pennsylvania Governor Milton Shapp, and former North Carolina governor Terry Sanford.

Carter ran as the newcomer and a Washington outsider. He promised a government of honesty and decency, of competency and love. He wanted a government as good as the American people. He promised he would not lie or be misleading. His message resonated well with voters in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, the resignations of President Richard Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew, and then the Nixon unconditional, absolute pardon. Carter was a surprise choice over the better-known, more experienced Democratic contenders.

In January 1976, Carter proved his vote-getting strength by winning the “first-in-the-nation” Iowa Caucus. A month later, he won the New Hampshire Primary. By the end of February, the momentum was his and news commentators were starting to use the word frontrunner to describe him. In March, Carter defeated Governor Wallace in Florida and North Carolina to become the South’s new favorite son. A week after Florida, he carried Illinois. Carter’s only significant loss in the first two months of voting was in Massachusetts where he finished fourth. Regardless, in the bicentennial year, Carter was the candidate to catch.

Two more candidates entered the race in March 1976. They were California governor Jerry Brown and Idaho U.S. senator Frank Church. They entered the fray because Carter started to post significant primary victories. Their late entry was part of the “ABC – Anybody but Carter” movement. Fearing he was too conservative, too religious, and too southern to effectively lead the party into a general election, their purpose was to deny Carter a first-ballot nomination at the convention. It failed and Carter wrapped the nomination in early June and became the presumptive nominee.

In July, at Madison Square Garden in New York, with solid support from the South, the former governor of Georgia easily won the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination on the first ballot. He then came before the convention and he formally accepted the nomination. Flashing his trademark grin to the convention delegates, Carter started his acceptance speech with these words: “My name is Jimmy Carter, and I’m running for President.” For his vice-presidential running mate, Carter chose Minnesota U.S. senator Walter Mondale to balance the ticket.

In the November general election, Carter squared off against President Gerald Ford. Initially, Carter held a large lead in the polls. But after the two participated in three presidential debates and Carter’s shocking Playboy interview raised concerns about his judgment and the sincerity of his religious faith, national polls tightened to a dead heat. The last Gallup poll taken before the election had Ford at 49 percent and Carter at 48 percent.

In the end, on November 2, 1976, Carter pulled it out and narrowly defeated the incumbent Republican president, 297 to 240 in the Electoral College. One vote was cast by a faithless elector for Ronald Reagan. Central to Carter’s election triumph was the strong support he received from the South and from African American voters. In fact, had it not been for the South, Ford would have won. Carter won ten of the eleven states of the old Confederacy. His only loss was Virginia.

When Carter arrived in Plains the morning of November 3, he spoke to supporters at the Plains Train Depot. He said, “I think the sun’s rising on a beautiful new day. A beautiful new spirit in this country. A beautiful new commitment to the future. I feel good about it. And I love every one of you and I thank you for it.”

On January 20, 1977, with his wife Rosalynn at his side holding a family Bible, Carter took the oath of office for president of the United States. He succeeded Ford to become the 39th president. Mondale took the oath for vice president. Carter then delivered the inaugural address which lasted about fifteen minutes.

It was a new day in Washington and the Carters were in town. To everyone’s surprise, they exited their limousine and decided to walk from the inauguration ceremony at the U.S. Capitol along Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. The new First Couple walked for about a mile and a half. They were joined by other members of the First Family. The gesture was intended to signal the end of the imperial presidency. Carter’s successors have emulated to some degree his inaugural walk.

Compared with his predecessors, Carter aspired to be more accessible to the public. In March 1977, he participated in a telephone call-in program with Walter Cronkite and then a citizen town hall meeting. Americans appreciated their new president and liked the new beginning.

According to the Gallup Organization, Carter started his presidency with a 66 percent job approval. That was 16 points higher than the percentage of the national popular vote he received in the 1976 election. In February 1977, Carter posted a job approval of 71 percent. By March, it was 75 percent, the highest of his presidency.

Carter wanted to be an active, hands-on president and he was. Not all presidents are. He made many promises and he had an ambitious legislative agenda. At times it was overwhelming and relations with Congress could be tense, but Carter labored on to address the key issues of the day.

During his term, Carter had many domestic achievements. Several were major and made substantive change. Other acts were more minor and symbolic in effect. His first major act was to unconditionally pardon civilian draft evaders of the Vietnam War. He signed legislation to create the Energy and Education departments. He addressed energy and natural gas emergencies. He introduced solar panels at the White House. He urged the country to follow the 55-mph highway speed limit and he recommended stricter temperature controls at home and at work. He increased the minimum wage. He promoted airline, rail, and trucking deregulation. Through loan guarantees, he saved the automaker Chrysler. He signed landmark environmental legislation. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) and the toxic waste Superfund were the most notable. He used the presidential veto power to curb government waste. He approved a legislative measure to create a Vietnam veterans memorial. He agreed with efforts to improve the quality and safety of baby food. He cheered the First Lady’s mental health initiative. He embraced the goals of full employment and a balanced budget. He pushed for civil service reform and the reorganization of government. Through the missions of Voyager 1 and 2, he encouraged the exploration of deep space. As a sign of interregional reconciliation, he signed a congressional resolution restoring the U.S. citizenship of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

Carter was supportive of greater rights and recognition for women and minorities. He appointed more women and African Americans to his cabinet, top-level executive branch positions, and the federal courts than any other president up to that point. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for example, was one of the Carter judges. She was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in June 1980 with unanimous consent.

Carter endorsed the Equal Rights Amendment. He signed legislation to create the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin. In his signing statement, Carter said, “I am particularly pleased that the new dollar coin will—for the first time in history—bear the image of a great American woman. The life of Susan B. Anthony exemplifies the ideals for which our country stands. The ‘Anthony dollar’ will symbolize for all American women the achievement of their unalienable right to vote. It will be a constant reminder of the continuing struggle for the equality of all Americans.’” He supported increased protections for the religious rights of Native Americans. He backed a federal holiday commemorating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and approved a measure to create a historic site in Atlanta for the great civil rights leader. Through an executive order, Carter established a presidential commission on the Holocaust and he promoted the greater public recognition of Judaism and the Jewish community through presidential proclamations.

One legislative regret perhaps Carter had was the inability to advance a national health care bill in a Democratic-run Congress. Critics in Congress said the President could have achieved more, but he held them and the legislative process in contempt, showed insufficient leadership at times, and attempted to do too many things at once. The administration thought that too many members were obsessed with re-election, prioritized wasteful, unnecessary pork projects, or were too rigid to compromise. Massachusetts senator Edward Kennedy was particularly blamed for the lack of progress on health care. It was thought that he intentionally withheld support to deny Carter a major legislative victory thereby enhancing his own chances to win the 1980 Democratic primaries and then become president.

In the area of foreign policy, Carter had several significant successes, too. He raised high the issue of human rights and made it a core principle of U.S. policy. As he declared in his inaugural address, “Our commitment to human rights must be absolute” and “our moral sense dictates a clear-cut preference for those societies which share with us an abiding respect for individual human rights.” He thus encouraged the democratic progress in Portugal and Spain and highlighted the concerns of Soviet dissidents and the plight of Soviet Jews. In divided Berlin, Carter spoke of human rights and human freedom. Invoking the Gospel of Matthew, he said, “The Bible says a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. What has been true of my own land for 3 1/2 centuries is equally true here in Berlin.”

Carter successfully negotiated the Panama Canal Treaties in 1977 and convinced the U.S. Senate to approve them with at least two-thirds support in 1978. Both treaty votes were approved by bipartisan supermajorities. It was a substantial sign that the United States under Carter desired better relations with Latin America and was more committed to a nonintervention policy.

In the Middle East, Carter pushed for a comprehensive peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors. He believed the Palestinian question had to be addressed as well and said he could support a Palestinian homeland. When the comprehensive approach stalled, he found that a peace between Israel and Egypt was possible. He was especially fond of Egypt’s president, Anwar Sadat, and welcomed his eagerness for an agreement. Carter’s thirteen-day summit with Sadat and Israel’s prime minister Menachem Begin led to the Camp David Accords in September 1978 and a peace treaty in March 1979. Carter successfully and skillfully mediated the diplomatic achievement and Camp David served as a model for future presidents and their efforts to reach a Middle East settlement.

Peace in the western Pacific was also vital. The U.S., after all, fought wars there since the 1940s. That needed to change. In December 1978, Carter announced that he reached an agreement with the government of the People’s Republic of China to normalize diplomatic relations between the two countries. Full ties commenced on January 1, 1979. This decision to normalize the relationship with Beijing has been upheld by each of Carter’s seven successors. Carter welcomed Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping to the White House in January 1979. The Taiwan Relations Act signed by Carter in April 1979 continues to form the basis of de facto U.S. relations with island authorities and its people.

In alliance with Great Britain and other African leaders, Carter worked for black majority rule in Rhodesia. This finally came to pass in 1979-1980 when the white minority government was permanently replaced. The birth of Zimbabwe was viewed at the time as a model for what could happen in neighboring South Africa and Namibia.

Carter’s one term was an eventful four years and he successfully fended off the Kennedy challenge in the winter and spring of 1980. In August, he was once more the Democratic Party’s nominee.

November 4, 1980 was Election Day. Carter was in Plains to cast his vote. He and Mrs. Carter voted at the old Plains High School. He spoke to local supporters from the train depot platform before heading back to Washington to monitor the election. He hoped for the best that day, but his pollster Pat Caddell had already informed him that it was going to be a rough night and it was. High inflation, long gas lines, the lingering hostage crisis in Iran, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the end of détente, a divided Democratic Party, John Anderson’s independent candidacy, and a perception that Governor Reagan won the one debate were among the many factors that eroded Carter’s job approval and confidence in his leadership. While several polls had showed a tight race, together, these many issues contributed to Carter’s increasingly dim prospects for re-election.

Reagan, who was the runner-up to Ford in 1976 Republican primaries, carried forty-four states to Carter’s six, including Georgia, and the District of Columbia. It was a landslide loss in the Electoral College, 489 to 49. That night, there was an early concession by Carter and there were sad faces on those watching election returns at the Plains Depot. Carter told his supporters in Washington that he called Reagan and congratulated him for his win. He pledged to work with the incoming administration and ensure “a very fine transition period.”

Following William Howard Taft, Herbert Hoover, and Gerald Ford, Carter was the fourth sitting president of the twentieth century to lose a general election.

For the next two months, Carter prepared for the presidential transition and continued to work on bringing home the American hostages from Iran. He had a legislative agenda to complete and some appointments to make. One that he selected in the waning days of his presidency was Stephen Breyer for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. In December 1980, the U.S. Senate confirmed Breyer 80 – 10.  Although Carter is the last president not to make an appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court, Ginsburg and Breyer would be appointed to the highest court by Bill Clinton in the 1990s.

Carter made two final trips to Plains during his presidency. He came home for Christmas (December 23-26, 1980) and he came home to prepare for his post-presidential life (January 8-11, 1981).

One peaceful transfer of power ritual is the farewell address. On January 14, 1981, Carter delivered his to the country. He asked his fellow Americans to remember the following: “‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’ This vision still grips the imagination of the world. But we know that democracy is always an unfinished creation. Each generation must renew its foundations.” Some of these sentiments were echoed many years later in an opinion piece he had published in the New York Times on January 6, 2022. The article was entitled, “I Fear for Our Democracy.”

After leaving the White House in January 1981, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter returned to their hometown of Plains and to their home on Woodland Drive. When the Carters arrived, they were greeted by many friends, neighbors, and well-wishers. He briefly spoke to those gathered and announced that the hostages were free. He said, “Just a few moments ago, on Air Force One before we landed at Warner Robins. I had received word officially for the first time that the aircraft carrying the 52 American hostages had cleared Iranian airspace on the first leg of their journey home, and that every one of the 52 hostages was alive, was well and free.” Soon thereafter, a band played “Dixie” for the Carters and they danced.

The next day, Carter was off again. This time it was to West Germany to greet the hostages. It was the first of many international trips during his post-presidency. And like each subsequent trip abroad, Carter returned to Plains to resume his private life and community involvement.

While losing an election was hard, Carter was not bitter, but grateful for the opportunity and honor to serve the country he loved. He was ready for what would come. As he began the next chapter in his life, he told reporters, “I have nothing in the way of feeling except gratitude, and I look forward to the future with acceptance and with anticipation and confidence that I’ll continue to live a fruitful life.” This was vintage Carter and he went on to have a remarkable post-presidency. Some say it was one of the best.

On his first Sunday home, January 25, 1981, Carter, Rosalynn, and Amy attended Maranatha Baptist Church. This was their new church and coming here on Sunday mornings would be part of his post-presidential routine until he could no longer attend. He also taught Sunday school here. From the position of Sunday school teacher, Carter kept the public informed of his latest activities (and there were many) with the Carter Center, the Carter Library and Museum, Habitat for Humanity, the Elders, or the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park. He shared details from his travels abroad and memories from his personal life and political life. He made connections between the Sunday school lesson and the decisions he made or places he went as president.

For those who stayed after the worship service, they could have their picture taken with the Carters. It was a reminder of what made him so popular and politically successful for time. He was publicly available, he interacted with the people, and he tried to take on the imperial presidency. He demonstrated that presidents were citizens, too.

Year after year, Carter taught most Sundays during the year. Several of his books were informed by or inspired by his Bible lessons. Living Faith, Sources of Strength: Meditations on Scripture for a Living Faith, Through the Year with Jimmy Carter: 366 Daily Meditations from the 39^th President, and Faith: A Journey for All are among them. In these, he discussed his Christian faith and described how to live a Christian life. He always said Jesus Christ is the model, the one to emulate, and the one in whose name we pray. In his 2002 Nobel Peace Prize lecture, he said, “I worship Jesus Christ, whom we Christians consider to be the Prince of Peace. As a Jew, he taught us to cross religious boundaries, in service and in love.”

As his health deteriorated these past few years, his teaching became less frequent. His last class was in November 2019. Had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic, there probably would have been a few more. His niece, Kim Fuller, succeeded him in this role.

In 2015, at age 90, Carter announced that he had advanced melanoma cancer, and it was feared then that his demise was near. The local community rallied and signs appeared around Plains and Sumter County that read, “Jimmy Carter for Cancer Survivor.” With surgery and treatments, he bounced back. He said he was prepared for what was inevitable for him and, indeed, for us all. He said, “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes.” This, I think, remained true to his last breath.

For those of us in Plains, Americus, and other parts of Sumter County, Mr. Carter will be especially missed. It was truly an honor to have a peek at his incredible life. In the recent past alone, we saw him at church for worship, listened to his Sunday school lessons, and heard him pray. We celebrated birthdays (most recently his 100th), holidays, and anniversaries with him. We raised our glasses and gave him a cheer. We heard him speak at a graduation or dedication ceremony at Georgia Southwestern. We shook his hand and he flashed that famous grin. We gathered to recognize him on Presidents’ Day in the old Plains High School auditorium, listened to his stories, and perhaps had the chance to ask him questions. We heard pianist David Osborne play for him. He signed our books that he wrote. We voted for his grandson for governor. We met him at the annual peanut festival or a Carter political items event. We received his phone call when we were hurt. We even joined him for a community barbecue and witnessed that the former president took his own plate, patiently got in line, received his portion of food and his drink, and then sat among his fellow Americans. We mourned with him when Mrs. Carter passed away.

To Sumter County, he was President Carter, Governor Carter, Senator Carter, Board of Education Chairman Carter, Mr. Carter, Mr. Jimmy, and just plain Jimmy. This will always be his forever home. He was always grateful for the political support he received from Sumter County voters. For governor in 1970, Carter pulled in almost 80 percent of the county vote against his Republican opponent. In the 1976 president election, he took over 72 percent of the county vote in his race against President Ford. Four years later, even during his 1980 re-election loss to Governor Reagan, Carter firmly carried Sumter County with over 61 percent of the vote. Through the years, he often acknowledged the support he received from Plains, Americus, Andersonville, Leslie, and DeSoto.

His name was Jimmy Carter. He was a winner in life, love, and politics. He ran for president, served as president, and he left several presidential legacies. He was often considered among the country’s best former presidents. He was a state governor, a state senator, and a school board member. He served his country in the armed forces. He was an alumnus of Plains High School and Georgia Southwestern. He truly lived a full life and was a man of many good deeds. He was a dedicated and humble public servant who touched so many lives. He was a peacemaker and a humanitarian respected across the world. He was an author, a teacher, a husband, and a family man. He was a Christian who reached out to the religious other. Rest in peace and farewell, Mr. Carter, and may his memory be a blessing.

More historical coverage of President Carter, including articles and images, may be found online at http://www.americustimesrecorder.com/category/jimmy-carter/.

More Jimmy Carter

Statement from President/CEO of United States Navy Memorial on the Passing of President Jimmy Carter

Georgia Historical Society Statement on the Passing of President Jimmy Carter

Former Mayor of Plains Boze Godwin expresses grief at the passing of former President Jimmy Carter

Blue Argo recalls Carter administration’s offer of position as Rosalynn Carter’s aide