Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States and a global advocate for human rights and democracy, passed away peacefully on Sunday at the age of 100, surrounded by family at his home in Plains, Georgia. The Carter Center announced his death, marking the end of a life devoted to public service and humanitarian efforts.
President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s passing, calling him “an extraordinary leader, statesman, and humanitarian.” Biden highlighted Carter’s legacy of compassion, moral clarity, and his lifelong work in promoting peace, civil rights, and aiding the disadvantaged. “He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong,” Biden stated, announcing a state funeral in Washington in his honor.
From Humble Beginnings to the White House
A peanut farmer and devout Baptist from Georgia, Carter entered the White House in 1977 after a victory over Republican Gerald Ford. His campaign resonated with a nation seeking honesty and integrity following the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War. Known for his technocratic governance style, he established key institutions like the Departments of Energy and Education, championed environmental conservation, and deregulated industries to spur economic revival.
Carter’s presidency also included foreign policy triumphs, most notably the Camp David Accords of 1978, which forged peace between Egypt and Israel.
However, his term was marred by domestic economic challenges and the Iran hostage crisis, which contributed to his landslide defeat to Ronald Reagan in 1980.
A Resilient Post-Presidency Legacy
Carter’s post-presidency was marked by his relentless pursuit of humanitarian and diplomatic causes. In 1982, he co-founded The Carter Center with his wife, Rosalynn, focusing on global peace, democracy, and public health. Over four decades, the Center monitored over 100 elections worldwide, fought diseases like Guinea worm and river blindness, and mediated conflicts in regions such as Bosnia, Sudan, and Haiti.
In 2002, Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize for his “decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts.”
A Life of Purpose and Faith
Throughout his life, Carter’s faith guided his actions. Reflecting on his journey after a cancer diagnosis in 2015, he remarked, “I’ve had a wonderful life… I’ve had an exciting, adventurous, and gratifying existence.”
Carter’s allies took comfort in the renewed recognition of his presidential achievements, with historians re-evaluating his tenure as impactful and forward-thinking.
Jimmy Carter leaves behind a legacy of humility, integrity, and service, embodying the ideals of leadership rooted in humanity and compassion.
