Staff report
President Jimmy Carter, the only Georgian to ever occupy the White House, died Sunday at age 100, after spending over a year at home in hospice care. He was surrounded by family and friends at his Plains, Georgia, home.
The announcement came from the Carter Center on Sunday.
Chip Carter, the former president’s son, said in a statement, “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love. My brothers, sister and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs.”
Carter’s beloved wife, Rosaylnn, died on Nov. 19, 2023, at age 96. They were married for 77 years.
Public services are planned for Atlanta and Washington with a private burial service following in Plains. Details will be announced.
As President, Carter helped broker the Camp David Peace Accords between Israel and Egypt, established diplomatic relations with China, and created the departments of Energy and Education.
He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. After leaving the White House after one term, he became the face of Habitat for Humanity and was often present on building sites. He was also a prolific author and won a Grammy three times for his audio books. He took on global crises and strife with his Atlanta-based Carter Center.
Carter served on submarines in the Navy, ran his family peanut farm, served in the Georgia Senate, and was elected governor of Georgia in 1970, before being elected to the U.S. presidency in 1976. He was the nation’s 39th president.
U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement regarding the death of the 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter:
“Elaine and I join the Senate and the nation in mourning the passing of our 39th president, Jimmy Carter.
“President Carter lived a truly American dream. A devoutly religious peanut farmer from small-town Georgia volunteered to serve his country in uniform. He found himself manning cutting-edge submarines hundreds of feet beneath the ocean. He returned home and saved the family farm before feeling drawn to a different sort of public service. And less than 15 years after his first campaign for the state Senate, his fellow Americans elected him leader of the free world.
“Jimmy Carter’s character and commitment, just like his crops, were fruits of all-American soil. After every season when life led him to lofty service far from home, he came back home again, determined to plow his unique experiences and influence into helping others; into building and teaching and volunteering; into further enriching the same rich soil that had made his own life possible.
“President Carter served during times of tension and uncertainty, both at home and abroad. But his calm spirit and deep faith seemed unshakeable. Jimmy Carter served as our commander-in-chief for four years, but he served as the beloved, unassuming Sunday school teacher at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia for forty. And his humble devotion leaves us little doubt which of those two important roles he prized the most.
“As Jimmy Carter is reunited with his beloved Rosalynn, our thoughts and prayers are with their children, Jack, Chip, Jeff, and Amy, their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and the millions of Americans whose lives were touched by his service. We join them in mourning, but also in celebrating that Jimmy Carter is now reaping an eternal harvest in Heaven.”
The Alliance for Justice also commemorated his death, citing his “compelling statesmanship” in strengthening the judicial nominations process, depoliticizing the selection of judges, and securing judicial independence.
“As we reflect on President Carter’s legacy, let us remember his commitment to the integrity of the justice system and the rights of all. He envisioned a judiciary that upheld equal justice under the law by modeling equality among its ranks. This is a practice we must continue to pursue and defend.”
Rest in Peace President Carter