Jimmy Carter

39th President Jimmy Carter, 1977-198139th President Jimmy Carter, 1977-198139th President Jimmy Carter, 1977-198139th President Jimmy Carter, 1977-198139th President Jimmy Carter, 1977-198139th President Jimmy Carter, 1977-198139th President Jimmy Carter, 1977-1981

39th President Jimmy Carter, 1977-1981

39th President of the United States
(January 20, 1977 to January 20, 1981)

Full Name: James Earl Carter, Jr.
Nickname: "Jimmy"

Born: October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia
Died: December 29, 2024 in Plains, Georgia

Father: James Earl Carter, Sr. (1894-1953)
Mother: Lillian Gordy Carter (1898-1983)
Married: Eleanor Rosalynn Smith (1927-2023), on July 7, 1946
Children: John William "Jack" Carter (1947- ); James Earl "Chip" Carter III (1950- ); Donnel Jeffrey "Jeff" Carter (1952- ); Amy Lynn Carter (1967- )

Religion: Baptist
Education: Graduated from U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md. (1946)
Occupation: Farmer, public official
Political Party: Democrat
Other Government Positions:

  • Georgia State Senator, 1963-66
  • Governor of Georgia, 1971-75

Presidential Salary: $200,000/year + $50,000 expense account

Presidential Election Results:

YearCandidatePopular VotesElectoral Votes
1976Jimmy Carter40,827,394297
(map)Gerald R. Ford39,145,977240
Ronald Reagan1

YearCandidatePopular VotesElectoral Votes
1980Ronald Reagan43,267,489489
(map)Jimmy Carter34,964,58349
John B. Anderson5,588,014

Vice President: Walter F. Mondale (1977-81)

Cabinet:

Secretary of State
Cyrus R. Vance (1977-80)
Edmund S. Muskie (1980-81)
Secretary of the Treasury
W. Michael Blumenthal (1977-79)
G. William Miller (1979-81)
Secretary of Defense
Harold Brown (1977-81)
Attorney General
Griffin B. Bell (1977-79)
Benjamin R. Civiletti (1979-81)
Secretary of the Interior
Cecil D. Andrus (1977-81)
Secretary of Agriculture
Robert S. Bergland (1977-81)
Secretary of Commerce
Juanita M. Kreps (1977-79)
Philip Klutznick (1979-81)
Secretary of Labor
F. Ray Marshall (1977-81)
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare
Joseph A. Califano, Jr. (1977-79)
Patricia R. Harris (1979-80)
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Patricia R. Harris (1980-81)
Secretary of Education
Shirley Hufstedler (1980-81)
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Patricia R. Harris (1977-79)
Moon Landrieu (1979-81)
Secretary of Transportation
Brock Adams (1977-79)
Neil E. Goldschmidt (1979-81)
Secretary of Energy
James R. Schlesinger (1977-79)
Charles W. Duncan, Jr. (1979-81)

Supreme Court Justices:
None nominated.

Notable Events:
  • 1977
    • On his second day in office, Carter pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders.
    • On April 18, Carter delivered a televised speech where he compared the energy crisis with the "moral equivalent of war."
  • 1978
    • On September 17, Carter oversaw the signing of the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt.
  • 1979
    • On March 26, Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in Washington, D.C. based on the Camp David Accords.
    • On July 15, Carter delivered televised speech on the nation's "crisis of confidence."
    • On November 4, sixty-six Americans taken hostage at the U.S. embassy in Tehran. Fifty-two of the hostages remained in captivity for 444 days. They were released on Reagan's inauguration day.
  • 1980
Internet Biographies:
Jimmy Carter -- from The Presidents of the United States of America
Compiled by the White House.
Jimmy Carter -- from The American President
From the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, in addition to information on the Presidents themselves, they have first lady and cabinet member biographies, listings of presidential staff and advisers, and timelines detailing significant events in the lives of each administration.
Jimmy Carter -- from Encyclopaedia Britannica
Facts about Carter and his presidency.
Jimmy Carter -- from Character Above All
From a PBS broadcast of the same name, this essay excerpt by Hendrik Hertzberg discusses some of the issues and events that molded Carter.
Jimmy Carter -- from New Georgia Encyclopedia
Carter biography with more infromation about his time in state government.
Jimmy Carter's Presidency -- from From Revolution to Reconstruction
An brief examination of the Carter presidency's highlights and lowlights.
Videos:
Historical Documents:
Inaugural Address (1977)
Camp David Accords text (1978)
Crisis of Confidence (1979)
Jimmy Carter Digital Collections - from the Library of Congress

 

Other Internet Resources:
The Best Biographies of Jimmy Carter
In 2012, Stephen Floyd started his search for the best biography of each president. He usually has reviews of multiple biographies for each president.
Carter Center
A public policy institute founder by Carter in 1982. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, current interviews, speeches, and opinions by Mr. and Mrs. Carter, as well as news, programs, and tour information are available.
Health and Medical History of James Carter
Medical background of each president with references. Compiled by John Sotos, MD.
Jimmy Carter National Historic Site
Tourist information on the Carter residence, boyhood home, high school and visitor center in Plains, Georgia.
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum
Research center and museum exhibits on the Carters located in Atlanta, Georgia.
Points of Interest:

441 Freedom Pkwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30307

453 Freedom Pkwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30307

300 N Bond St, Plains, GA 31780
Additional Facts:
  • On March 22, 2019, Carter became the longest living US president at 94 years, 172 days old surpassing George H.W. Bush.
  • Carter has had the longest post-presidency at over 38 years.
  • Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter had the longest presidential marriage at 77 years 135 days.
  • Carter was the first president to serve a full term and not nominate a Supreme Court justice.
  • Carter was the first president born in a hospital.
  • Carter was the first president to attend the U.S. Naval Academy.
  • Carter's father owned a peanut farm.
  • Carter was the first president to host an official papal visit when Pope John Paul II visited the White House in 1979.
  • In 1942 Carter won the election for Georgia State Senate. Initially his opponent was declared the winner but it was proven that voter fraud had been committed. Carter was declared the rightful winner.
  • In 2002 Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Quotes:

“You can do what you have to do, and sometimes you can do it even better than you think you can.”

“Piling up material goods cannot fill the emptiness of lives which have no confidence or purpose.”

“We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles.”

“Aggression unopposed becomes a contagious disease.”

Previous President: Gerald R. Ford
Next President: Ronald Reagan