The Carter Foundation
President Jimmy Carter is known to be a deeply religious man and a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. Celebrating his 94th birthday this year, he continues to focus on the social issues that have preoccupied his time since leaving public office in the early 1980’s.
In 1982, he and his wife, Rosalyn, established the Carter Foundation with the motto: “Waging Peace, Fighting Disease, Building Hope.” The foundation receives funding from governments, corporations, and private citizens to support human rights and healthcare initiatives around the world.
Ascending to the Presidency
During the 1940’s and 50’s, President Carter completed his education, served in the Navy, and started a family. His political career began after the death of his father, when he returned home to Georgia to manage the family’s farm. Carter was elected to the Georgia Senate in 1962, he became Governor in 1971, and he defeated Gerald Ford in 1976 to become the 39th president.
While in office, President Carter set near-impossible goals for his administration, such as his determination to influence a peace process in the Middle East, and his attempts to negotiate the release of 52 Americans taken hostage when the US embassy in Tehran was attacked.
His Years As President
President Carter supported emerging technologies in energy conservation, adding the Department of Energy and the Department of Education to the executive cabinet. In 1977, he signed over the rights to the Panama Canal to the Panamanians after almost a century of US involvement in the region. And he authorized the use of federal funds in the restoration of the Love Canal site near Niagara Falls, NY.
The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library is in Atlanta, Georgia, just minutes from the offices of the Carter Foundation. President Carter remains active within the Baptist church, and he and his wife Rosalynn celebrate their 72nd wedding anniversary this year.