On December 29th, 2024, James Earl Carter Jr. (Jimmy Carter,) passed away. He served as the 39th president and lived for 100 years.
39th President
Jimmy Carter is not looked upon highly for his one term in office, serving from 1977-1981. The country was going through an energy crisis, affecting Americans across the U.S. This overlapped with a recession in 1980, and many remember the president’s failure to properly handle these tough situations.
Despite this, some people look back fondly at Carter’s time in office. He was able to pardon those who dodged the draft for the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War occurred for over twenty years, drafting over 2 million men, 300,000 of those avoiding the draft.
“My grandfather was a Vietnam draft dodger, so thanks to him I’m alive today,” said CSHS Junior Will Horvitz.
Carter was also well-regarded for his foreign policy and relations. Throughout his time in office, he was able to create relations with other countries and mend conflicts between them.
This was seen specifically in the Camp David Accords. In the late summer of 1978, Carter met with Israeli Prime Minister Anwar Sadat at Camp David, a country retreat in Michigan owned by the president. Over the course of the twelve days stayed there, a framework for peace between Israel and Egypt was established, that still stands to this day.
Post Presidency
After his time in office, Carter remained in the public eye, working on many social projects still running to this day. One of these is the Carter Center.
The Carter Center is a nongovernmental organization, founded by Jimmy Carter, that is dedicated to maintaining and creating democracy across the world. It has been involved with the democratic transformation of over 80 countries and is still working to protect democracy.
Carter also became an author, writing books discussing pressing social issues. Among his most famous (and controversial,) Palestine: Peace, not Apartheid.
This book delves into the complicated history of Palestine and Israel, analyzing the situation and proposing solutions that will allow for both sides to flourish and have peace. Although this has become a very relevant topic in recent years, Carter was ahead of his time, releasing this book in 2006.
Later in his life, Carter began to sway public opinion back to his side. Through his many acts of service to communities across the world, as well as his presence in the public eye, many adored the former President.
When asked about Jimmy Carter, CSHS senior Daniel Javors said this, “I obviously wasn’t alive while he served, but he seems like a cool guy.”
Recently before his passing, Carter turned 100 years old, becoming the oldest former president of the United States in history, followed up by George H. W. Bush, dying at 94 years old in 2018.
Death
In 2016, Carter was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma, battling the disease until his ultimate passing. The former president’s death was extremely somber, as people around the country and even the world mourned his loss.
Carter’s funeral was held on January 14th, 2025, and the service was hosted at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. It was attended by all currently living presidents. Immediate past president Biden spoke, eulogizing the death of the former president and his long-lived life.
