Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, died Sunday, Dec. 29. He was 100-years-old.
The longest-living president in U.S. history died after entering hospice care in his home in Plains, Ga., in February 2023. At the time, his foundation, The Carter Center, announced that he’d be stopping medical intervention and only receiving hospice care following a series of hospital stays.
“After a series of short hospital stays, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention,” the announcement read. “He has the full support of his family and his medical team. The Carter family asks for privacy during this time and is grateful for the concern shown by his many admirers.”
Carter was a one-term president, holding office from 1977-1981. Carter first served as a Georgia senator from 1963 to 1967 and then served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975. He beat incumbent President Gerald Ford in the 1976 presidential election. He would be unseated by Ronald Reagan in 1981.
During his term as president, Carter established the Department of Education, strengthened the Social Security system and added 103 million acres of Alaskan land to the national park system to help protect the environment. In foreign affairs, Carter led the Camp David Accords in 1978, a political agreement between Egypt and Israel reached through 12 days of secret negotiations at the President’s Maryland country retreat. In addition, he obtained ratification of the Panama Canal treaties, set up diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, and finished the negotiation of the SALT II nuclear limitation treaty with the Soviet Union.
The Tennessee Democratic Party issued a statement following Carter’s passing, joining others around the world to honor the former president.
“We join the nation and the world in mourning the loss of President Jimmy Carter, a leader defined by selflessness and compassion. As the 39th President, he championed human rights, peace, and fairness, always putting the American people first.
“Beyond the presidency, his unwavering dedication to service continued through The Carter Center and his work with Habitat for Humanity, leaving a global legacy of humanity.
“President Jimmy Carter’s legacy is a beacon of hope, compassion, and moral courage. He leaves behind an indelible mark on the hearts of the American people and the global community. As we reflect on his extraordinary life, let us honor his memory by striving to emulate his enduring commitment to kindness and service.
“We pray for the family of President Carter.”
President Joe Biden spoke Sunday evening about Carter, calling it a “sad day” but one that “brings back an incredible amount of good memories.”
“I’ve been hanging out with Jimmy Carter for over 50 years,” Biden said.
He recalled the former president being a comfort to him and his wife Jill when their son Beau died in 2015 of cancer. The president remarked how cancer was a common bond between their families, with Carter himself having cancer later in his life.
“Jimmy knew the ravages of the disease too well,” Biden said.
Biden has scheduled a state funeral in Washington, D.C., for Carter on Jan. 9, as well as declaring Jan. 9 as a National Day of Mourning across the nation and ordered U.S. flags to fly at half-staff for 30 days from Sunday.
Born James Earl Carter, Jr. on Oct. 1, 1924, Carter’s family ran a peanut farm in Plains, Ga. Talk of politics and his Baptist faith were tenets of his childhood. He graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., in 1946, serving seven years as a naval officer.
Carter married his wife, Rosalynn Carter after graduating from the Academy in 1946, and they were together for more than 77 years. Rosalynn died in Nov. 19 2023 at the age of 96 following her health declining and being diagnosed with dementia in May 2023. They share three sons, John William (Jack), James Earl III (Chip), Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff), and a daughter, Amy Lynn.
After his presidency, Carter focused his public efforts on humanitarian aid. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”
