Former U.S. first lady Rosalynn Carter, who President Jimmy Carter called “an extension of myself” owing to his wife’s prominent role in his administration even as she tirelessly promoted the cause of mental health, died on Sunday at age 96, the Carter Center said.
Quick Read
- Rosalynn Carter’s Passing:
- Former U.S. first lady Rosalynn Carter died at age 96.
- Passed away in hospice care at home in Plains, Georgia.
- Jimmy Carter’s Tribute:
- President Jimmy Carter described her as his equal partner and closest adviser.
- Role in Administration:
- Played a prominent role in Jimmy Carter’s administration.
- Advocated for mental health and other causes.
- Longest-Married Presidential Couple:
- Married to Jimmy Carter since 1946.
- Post-Presidency Role:
- Instrumental in Carter Center and Habitat for Humanity charity work.
- Health Challenges:
- Suffered from dementia in her later years.
- Jimmy Carter, now 99, also in hospice care.
- Advocacy and Activism:
- Focused on mental health, not due to personal connection but out of advocacy need.
- Involved in official missions and political campaigns.
- Contributions to Public Life:
- Worked on mental health issues and human rights.
- Continued advocacy through Carter Center.
- Recognition and Tributes:
- Praised for her service, compassion, and leadership.
- Tributes from President Joe Biden, former Presidents, and others.
- Early Life and Marriage:
- Born Eleanor Rosalynn Smith in 1927.
- Married Jimmy Carter in 1946, having four children.
- Mental Health Interest Origin:
- Developed interest in mental health during husband’s governor campaign.
- White House Initiatives:
- Honorary chair of the President’s Commission on Mental Health.
- Key in the passage of a 1980 act for mental health funding.
- Legacy in Mental Health:
- Pursued mental health work post-presidency.
- Involved in Habitat For Humanity and won the Nobel Peace Prize with Jimmy Carter.
- Community Involvement:
- Active in Plains community and Maranatha Baptist Church.
- Survived by Family:
- Survived by four children, 11 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.
- Public and Global Reactions:
- Recognized as a humanitarian and advocate.
- Tributes from political figures and organizations for her service and impact.
The Associated Press has the story:
Former First Lady, Global Humanitarian Rosalynn Carter dies at 96
Newslooks- ATLANTA (AP)
Former U.S. first lady Rosalynn Carter, who President Jimmy Carter called “an extension of myself” owing to his wife’s prominent role in his administration even as she tirelessly promoted the cause of mental health, died on Sunday at age 96, the Carter Center said.
Rosalynn Carter, who in recent days had entered hospice care at home in Plains, Georgia, died with her family by her side, according to a statement released by the Carter Center, a nonprofit organization founded by the couple.
Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, served as president from 1977 to 1981. He and his wife were the longest-married U.S. presidential couple, having wed in 1946 when he was 21 and she was 18. After his single term as president ended, he has also enjoyed more post-White House years than any president before him, and she played an instrumental role during those years, including as part of the Carter Center and the Habitat for Humanity charity.
Her family in May disclosed that she had dementia but was continuing to live at home. Jimmy Carter, 99, himself is in hospice care after deciding in February to decline additional medical intervention.
“Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” the former president said in the statement. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.”
She was seen as unassuming and quiet before coming to Washington in 1977 but developed into an eloquent speaker, campaigner and activist. Her abiding passion, which carried far beyond her White House years, was for the mentally ill, not because of any personal connection but because of a strong feeling that advocacy was needed.
“The best thing I ever did was marry Rosalynn,” Carter told the C-SPAN cable TV channel in 2015. “That’s the pinnacle of my life.”
Before her husband was elected president in 1976, Rosalynn was largely unknown outside of Georgia, where he had been a peanut farmer-turned-governor. He lost his 1980 re-election bid to Ronald Reagan, a Republican former California governor and Hollywood actor.
In Washington, the Carters were a team, with the president calling her “an extension of myself” and “my closest adviser.” She was often invited to sit in as an observer at cabinet meetings and political strategy discussions. In a 1978 interview with magazine editors, Carter said he shared almost everything with his wife except top-secret material.
“I think she understands the consciousness of the American people and their attitudes perhaps better than do I,” he said.
She also was sent on important official missions to Latin America and was part of the unsuccessful campaign for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to ensure equal treatment of women under the law.
The Iranian hostage crisis, in which American diplomats and others were held captive in Tehran after the Islamic revolution, occurred when Carter was seeking re-election. The crisis contributed to the downfall of his presidency as he refrained from campaigning while trying to resolve the standoff.
During that time, Rosalynn Carter sought to support her husband by speaking in 112 cities in 34 states during a 44-day tour. Her speeches and forays into crowds were credited with helping Carter defeat Democratic challenger Ted Kennedy in the 1980 primaries, although he went on to lose overwhelmingly to Reagan.
President Joe Biden, who served in the Senate during the Carter presidency, and first lady Jill Biden said in a statement that Rosalynn Carter “walked her own path, inspiring a nation and the world along the way.”
“She was a champion for equal rights and opportunities for women and girls; an advocate for mental health and wellness for every person; and a supporter of the often unseen and uncompensated caregivers of our children, aging loved ones and people with disabilities,” the Bidens said.
Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump also lauded her.
MENTAL HEALTH INTEREST
Eleanor Rosalynn Smith was born Aug. 18, 1927, in Plains to Edgar and Alice Smith, and married Carter on July 7, 1946. They went on to have four children.
Her interest in mental health issues stemmed from the early 1970s when she began to realize, while helping her husband campaign for governor, the depth of the problem in her home state of Georgia and the reluctance of people to talk about it.
As first lady of Georgia, she was a member of a governor’s commission to improve services for the mentally ill.
In the White House, she became honorary chair of the President’s Commission on Mental Health, key to passage of a 1980 act that helped fund local mental health centers.
After leaving Washington she pursued her work through the Carter Center, which the couple founded in Atlanta in 1982. She continued to advocate for mental health, early childhood immunization, human rights, conflict resolution and the empowerment of urban communities.
“I hope our legacy continues, more than just as first lady, because the Carter Center has been an integral part of our lives. And our motto is waging peace, fighting disease and building hope. And I hope that I have contributed something to mental health issues and help improve a little bit the lives of people living with mental illnesses,” she told C-SPAN in a 2013 interview.
In their post-Washington years the Carters were also key figures in the Habitat For Humanity charity, helping build homes for needy families. Their humanitarian efforts were crowned in 2002 when Jimmy Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
“I am especially grateful to Rosalynn, who has been a part of everything I’ve done,” a teary-eyed Jimmy Carter said in a speech in Plains after learning he had won the award.
Both Carters were active in the Plains community, including at the Maranatha Baptist Church where Rosalynn served as a deacon and Jimmy as a deacon and long-time Sunday school teacher.
The Carter Center said she also is survived by her four children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Reactions to the death of Rosalynn Carter, former first lady and global humanitarian:
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President Joe Biden said the Carters “brought grace” to the White House. “He had this great integrity, still does. And she did too,” Biden told reporters as he was boarding Air Force One to leave Norfolk, Virginia on Sunday night. “God bless them.” Biden said he spoke to the family and was told that Jimmy Carter was surrounded by his children and grandchildren.
Later the White House released an official joint statement from the president and first lady Jill Biden saying that Carter inspired the nation. “She was a champion for equal rights and opportunities for women and girls; an advocate for mental health and wellness for every person; and a supporter of the often unseen and uncompensated caregivers of our children, aging loved ones, and people with disabilities,” the statement said.
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Former President George W. Bush called Carter a woman of dignity and strength. “There was no greater advocate of President Carter, and their partnership set a wonderful example of loyalty and fidelity. She leaves behind an important legacy in her work to destigmatize mental health. We join our fellow citizens in sending our condolences to President Carter and their family,” Bush said in a statement with former first lady Laura Bush.
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U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia said Carter would be remembered for her compassionate nature and passion for women’s rights, human rights and mental health reform. “The State of Georgia and the United States are better places because of Rosalynn Carter,” Ossoff said in a statement. “I join all Georgians and Americans in mourning her loss. May Rosalynn Carter’s memory be a blessing.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris said Rosalynn Carter redefined the role of first lady and lived a life of service, faith, compassion, and moral leadership. “As a humanitarian, a public servant, and a global leader, Mrs. Carter improved the lives of millions — and inspired countless more to dedicate their lives to service. Her legacy will be a beacon for generations to come,” Harris said in a statement.
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Former President Donald Trump said Carter “earned the admiration and gratitude” of the nation. “From her days as a U.S. Navy spouse, to the Georgia Governor’s Mansion, to her tenure as First Lady of the United States, and her later work at the Carter Center and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, she leaves behind a legacy of extraordinary accomplishment and national service,” Trump said on Truth Social.
In a separate statement, former first lady Melania Trump said Carter leaves behind a meaningful legacy. “We will always remember her servant’s heart and devotion to her husband, family, and country. May she rest in peace,” Melania Trump said on X, formerly Twitter.
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Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Carter was a “saintly and revered public servant” driven by faith, compassion and kindness. “On the world stage, First Lady Carter was a pioneer. Her historic, high-stakes diplomatic mission to Latin America in 1977 ushered in a new era of engagement in the region. Two years later, she became the first sitting First Lady to address the World Health Organization, where she argued that mental health was an aspect of physical health – and that health is a human right,” Pelosi said in a statement offering condolences to the Carter family.
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Bill and Hillary Clinton called Carter a champion of human dignity. “Thanks to her mental health advocacy, more people live with better care and less stigma. Because of her early leadership on childhood immunization, millions of Americans have grown up healthier. And through her decades of work at the Carter Center and with Habitat for Humanity, she spread hope, health, and democracy across the globe,” the former president and former secretary of state said in a joint statement. “Rosalynn will be forever remembered as the embodiment of a life lived with purpose.”
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Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens called Carter “the model for the modern day First Lady” and praised her work promoting mental health awareness. “She never stopped advocating for mental health or the Equal Rights Amendment,” Dickens said in a statement. “The city of Atlanta joins all of Georgia — and mourners around the world — as we honor the memory of First Lady Rosalynn Carter.”
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Former first lady Michelle Obama said Rosalynn Carter sometimes offered advice during their periodic lunches at the White House. “She reminded me to make the role of First Lady my own, just like she did. I’ll always remain grateful for her support and her generosity,” Obama said in a statement. “Today, Barack and I join the world in celebrating the remarkable legacy of a First Lady, philanthropist, and advocate who dedicated her life to lifting up others. Her life is a reminder that no matter who we are, our legacies are best measured not in awards or accolades, but in the lives we touch.”
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Habitat For Humanity, the Georgia-based charity that the Carters worked for tirelessly, said its members were saddened by the former first lady’s passing. “She was a compassionate and committed champion of #HabitatforHumanity and worked fiercely to help families around the world,” the nonprofit said on X.
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Carter’s legacy will be a source of pride for her home state, said U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, the chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia. “Georgia Democrats join our entire state, nation, and the world in mourning the loss of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter – an extraordinary humanitarian, fierce mental health advocate, and beloved daughter of Georgia,” Williams said.
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The Carter Center said it was grieving the passing of its co-founder. “She was a partner in good deeds with her husband, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, as they traversed the globe to strengthen democracy, resolve conflicts, advance human rights, and eliminate debilitating diseases after their time in the White House,” the center said in a statement. In lieu of flowers, Carter requested that those wishing to honor her memory do so through contributions to the Carter Center’s Mental Health Program or the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, the statement said.
