Jimmy Carter was the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981 the longest-living U.S. president and the only one to reach 100 years old. Carter graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946 and served in the Navy before returning home. As a Georgia politician, he opposed racial segregation and supported civil rights. In 1976, he ran as an outsider and defeated President Gerald Ford to win the presidency.
As president, Carter pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders, promoted energy conservation, and signed the Camp David Accords, Panama Canal Treaties, and Strategic Arms Limitation agreements. His term faced challenges like the Iran hostage crisis, an energy crisis, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. He lost his 1980 re-election bid to Ronald Reagan.
After leaving office, Carter founded the Carter Center to promote peace, fight disease, and monitor elections. He also worked with Habitat for Humanity and wrote extensively on various topics. In 2002, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian efforts. While his presidency is often average, his post-presidency is widely admired. 1whitehouse.govÂ
I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history
Jimmy Carter Biography
James Earl Carter Jr. was born on October 1, 1924, in Georgia, USA, and died on December 29, 2024, after 100 years of his birth.
Jimmy Carter Education
Jimmy Carter went to Plains High School from 1937 to 1941, graduating after the 11th grade because the school didn’t have a 12th grade. He played basketball and joined Future Farmers of America, sparking his love for woodworking.
Carter dreamed of attending the U.S. Naval Academy. He first studied engineering at Georgia Southwestern College, then transferred to Georgia Tech in 1942. While at Georgia Tech, he joined the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. In 1943, Carter was accepted into the Naval Academy and graduated in 1946 with a Bachelor of Science degree. 2britannicaÂ
Jimmy Carter Wife
While at the academy, Carter began dating Rosalynn Smith and they married in 1946 and remained together until Rosalynn died in 2023. They had four children named John William, James, Donnel Jeffrey, and Amy Carter. 3imdbÂ
Jimmy Carter Parents
James Earl Carter Jr. was born at a hospital where his mother worked as a nurse. He was the first U.S. president born in a hospital. His parents were Lillian Gordy Carter and James Earl Carter Sr. Carter’s father ran a successful general store and owned farmland and he had three younger siblings named Gloria, Ruth, and Billy.
Though his father supported segregation, he allowed Jimmy to play with the children of black farmworkers. As a teenager, Carter showed initiative by farming his acre of land, growing and selling peanuts, and even renting out tenant housing he bought. Through his great-grandfather, he was also related to Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown. 4imdb
Jimmy Carter’s Career Influences
Naval Career
Jimmy Carter trained for submarine duty and served on the USS Pomfret in 1949. By 1949, he was promoted to lieutenant junior grade and participated in a simulated war patrol in the western Pacific.
In 1951, Jimmy served on the USS K-1, qualifying for command and working as an executive officer. The next year, he joined the Navy’s nuclear submarine program under Captain Hyman Rickover, whom Carter credited as a major influence in his life.
Carter trained at the Naval Reactors Branch of the Atomic Energy Commission and later assisted in the cleanup of a nuclear reactor accident at Chalk River Laboratories in Canada.
In 1953, Carter trained in nuclear power plant operations but left active duty after his father’s death to manage the family peanut business. Jimmy officially left the Navy on October 9, 1953, and served in the Navy Reserve until 1961 and reached the rank of lieutenant. His military awards included the American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, China Service Medal, and National Defense Service Medal, along with a submarine officer’s “dolphin” badge.
US Presidentship
Jimmy Carter became the 39th president of the United States on January 20, 1977. His presidency faced challenges like high inflation, a recession, and the 1979 energy crisis. The U.S. experienced its first government shutdown in May 1980, affecting only the Federal Trade Commission.
Jimmy worked to ease global tensions, achieving notable successes like the Camp David Accords for Middle East peace, returning the Panama Canal to Panama, and signing the SALT II nuclear arms treaty with the Soviet Union. However, his last year in office was overshadowed by the Iran hostage crisis, which hurt his chances for reelection.
Jimmy Carter made several significant policy decisions during his presidency:
Airline Deregulation
In 1977, Jimmy supported the deregulation of the airline industry by appointing Alfred E. Kahn to lead the Civil Aeronautics Board. This effort resulted in the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, which reduced government control over fares and routes and allowed market forces to shape the industry.
Beer Deregulation
In 1979, Carter legalized the sale of ingredients for home brewing, which had been restricted since Prohibition. This change led to a boom in home brewing and eventually helped create the U.S. craft beer industry.
Chrysler Bailout
Faced with bankruptcy, Chrysler received $3.5 billion in government aid through the Chrysler Corporation Loan Guarantee Act of 1979. Carter signed the bill, saving thousands of jobs while requiring financial sacrifices from the company and its workers.
Healthcare
Carter advocated for healthcare reform, proposing cost controls and private insurance coverage. However, his efforts were hindered by disagreements with Congress. In 1980, Jimmy signed the Mental Health Systems Act to improve community-based mental health services, but much of the law was repealed under the Reagan administration.
Education
Jimmy fulfilled a campaign promise by creating the Department of Education in 1979, consolidating federal education efforts. He expanded the Head Start program benefited thousands of children and families, and supported funding for schools in border districts.
LGBTQ+ Rights
Carter’s administration was the first to invite LGBTQ+ activists to the White House in 1977 to discuss discrimination and employment issues. His presidency also ended the ban on openly gay individuals serving in the U.S. Foreign Service.
Jimmy Carter received many honors during his life.
In 1984, he earned the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement. The Jimmy Carter Library and Museum opened in 1986, and the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park was created in 1987. In 1991, Carter became an honorary Phi Beta Kappa member and joined the American Philosophical Society. The U.S. Navy named a submarine, the USS Jimmy Carter, after him in 1998.
He won the United Nations Prize for Human Rights and the Hoover Medal for engineering contributions to global causes. In 2002, Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize, partly for his criticism of the Iraq war. Americus, Georgia, renamed its airport the Jimmy Carter Regional Airport in 2009.
Carter earned 10 Grammy nominations for Best Spoken Word Album, winning three times for recordings of his books. In 2024, the White House released a Christmas ornament honoring his naval service and peace efforts, marking the first time this honor was given to a living president. 5wikipediaÂ
Books & Accomplishments of Jimmy
Carter wrote thirty-two books and they are: Why Not the Best? A Government as Good as Its People, Keeping Faith: Memoirs of a President, Negotiation: The Alternative to Hostility, The Blood of Abraham: Insights into the Middle East, Everything to Gain: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life, written with Rosalynn Carter, An Outdoor Journal: Adventures and Reflections, Turning Point: A Candidate, a State, and a Nation Come of Age, Talking Peace: A Vision for the Next Generation, Always a Reckoning and Other Poems, The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer, illustrated by Amy Carter, Living Faith, Sources of Strength: Meditations on Scripture for a Living Faith, The Virtues of Aging, An Hour Before Daylight: Memories of a Rural Boyhood, Christmas in Plains: Memories, The Nobel Peace Prize Lecture, The Hornet’s Nest: A Novel of the Revolutionary War, Sharing Good Times, Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis, Palestine Peace Not Apartheid, Beyond the White House: Waging Peace, Fighting Disease, Building Hope, A Remarkable Mother, We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land: A Plan That Will Work, White House Diary, Through the Year with Jimmy Carter: 366 Daily Meditations from the 39th President, as general editor, NIV Lessons from the Life Bible: Personal Reflections with Jimmy Carter, revised as NSRV Simple Faith Bible, A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power, The Paintings of Jimmy Carter, A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety, The Craftsmanship of Jimmy Carter, and Faith: A Journey for All. 6cartercenter.orgÂ
Jimmy Carter’s Net Worth
Jimmy Carter had a net worth of around 10 million US Dollars.
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