Former president Jimmy Carter, a global role model for humanitarian service after his presidency, passed away at the age of 100, the Carter Center reported.
Carter, who served as a president in the US for the longest time, reached his 100th birthday this past October. Once a peanut farmer, he made an impact like few others, such as the establishment of the Carter Center, which champions democracy and human rights around the world. With his death, which was of peaceful nature, the Center issued an announcement. This Sunday afternoon, the man died in Plains, Georgia, where he lived with his wife.
Carter, the 39th president, served from 1977 to 1981 during a time of economic hardship and foreign crises. Although he left the presidency with low popularity ratings, his legacy of service later won him the Nobel Peace Prize, which helped restore his reputation.
“My father was a hero—not just to me, but to so many,” Chip Carter, the son of the former president, said in a moving statement. “He was a true hero—a champion of peace, human rights, and love in its most selfless form. The legacy of bringing people together is our beacon, and we honor him best by living these shared values.”
Carter, the son of a poor farmer, first became known to many Americans as governor of Georgia. He served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. He is survived by four children, 11 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. His beloved wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, died in November 2023.
When George HW Bush died in 2018, Carter became the oldest living former president. Last year, he entered hospice care, having decided to halt treatment for an undisclosed illness.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, in their tribute, said, “Jimmy Carter was an extraordinary leader, statesman, and humanitarian. He was our dear friend—a principled man of faith and humility.” They went on to say that he represented America’s best virtues—“decency and honor, courage and compassion, humility and strength.”
In a similar spirit, President-elect Donald Trump, commenting on Carter’s presidency, noted the enormous difficulties he encountered and thanked Carter for trying to make American lives better.
Carter’s presidency encountered considerable challenges, including economic discontent, foreign policy difficulties that included the loss of lives in the Iran hostage crisis, but he did achieve a major success by brokering the Camp David Accords in 1978, which brought Egypt and Israel together.
Despite these achievements, economic hardship drove the voters to Ronald Reagan, who mocked Carter as a weak leader. Both parties still reference Carter’s 1980 landslide defeat at the ballot box with notable vigor, with Republican opponents using it as a prime example of liberal failure and moderates in his party acknowledging it as a departure from their ideals.
Over time respect for Carter’s simple, service-oriented life grew. He uniquely returned to his humble, two-bedroom house after his presidency, shunning the wealth that comes to most former presidents, and focusing instead on global initiatives related to fairness and health.
With Nelson Mandela, Carter co-founded The Elders, a group that supports peace and human rights initiatives around the world. His 2002 Nobel Prize—one of only three awarded to a president of the United States—was given for his efforts to reduce the gap between the rich and poor on a global scale.
Bill and Hillary Clinton, former presidents, praised Carter’s impressive contributions to justice, environmentalism, and diplomacy. Barack Obama, another former president, noted that Carter’s life had been filled with “grace, dignity, justice, and service.” Republican George W. Bush remarked on Carter’s dignified presidency and lifelong commitment to a better world.
In honor of Carter’s extensive legacy, President Biden has declared plans for a state funeral in Washington, DC.