James “Jimmy” Earl Carter Jr. was an incredible leader who unfortunately passed away on December 29th, 2024, due to heart failure. He was the 39th President of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981, and he’s known for his efforts to promote peace, human rights, and environmental protection.
Jimmy Carter was born in Plains, Georgia, and grew up on a farm. His first contribution to the United States was as a U.S. Navy officer. Joining in 1947, with World War 2 ending only two years earlier, Jimmy’s most notable accomplishment in the Navy was dismantling a nuclear bomb in Canada. While serving in the armed forces, the Seawolf-Class submarine U.S.S. Jimmy Carter was named after him, and he also achieved the rank of Lieutenant. However, during his time in the Navy, his father, James Earl Carter Sr. tragically passed away, compelling Jimmy to step away from the Navy.
After he retired from the Navy, Jimmy Carter briefly took over his late father’s peanut farm, and quickly became a community leader, serving on county boards supervising education, hospital authority, and the library. Eventually, he was elected to serve on the Georgia State Senate from 1963 to 1967 before becoming the 76th state governor of Georgia in 1971. In 1976, he decided to start a presidential campaign and ran for President with the democratic party. Carter addressed the public in ways that spoke to people, saying, “I’ll never tell a lie. I’ll never make a misleading statement. I’ll never betray the confidence that any of you had in me. And I’ll never avoid a controversial issue.” His time as a senator helped him tremendously during his campaign, as he was already experienced in foreign matters, and had been invited to join the Trilateral Commission––a group of government officials, academics, and business executives from Japan, Europe, and North America. Due to his involvement in this group, he met Cyrus Vance and Zbigniew Brzezinski, both of whom he relied heavily on during his campaign. He won the election and became the 39th U.S. president in 1976. Carter then gave Vance and Brzezinski the job of National Security Advisor and Secretary of State.
One of his greatest accomplishments during his presidency was helping Israel and Egypt reach peace in 1978 by creating the Camp David Awards, successfully stopping a 30-year conflict. Carter also created the Department of Energy to address energy shortages, promote energy conservation, and research renewable energy. He also worked on improving the environment, making human rights an important foreign policy, and advocating for better treatment of impoverished people.
Even after his time as President ended, Carter kept working, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his advances in global peace and human rights. Then created an organization that nearly eradicated the guinea worm disease. President Carter also wrote many books about topics ranging from poetry to politics. Even in the later stages of his life, he was still working hard to help people worldwide. Despite doctors having to remove half of his kidney due to a tumor, and being diagnosed with metastatic melanoma, he continued to serve, revealing his commitment to the greater good. Jimmy Carter’s impact on the world was immeasurable, and his legacy will continue to inspire generations to come.
Sources:
https://www.cartercenter.org/about/experts/jimmy_carter.html
