Thirty-ninth President - 1977-1981
Born: October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia
Presidential library and museum: The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and
Museum, Atlanta, Georgia
Admission to Jimmy Carter Presidential Library
and Museum: $8.00
Jimmy Carter’s last day as president was a race against the clock. On January 20, 1981, after months of intense negotiations, Iran signaled that it was prepared to free fifty-two American hostages who had been held for 444 days. But an hour and a half before noon on inauguration day, Iran had still not released the plane with the hostages on board. Time had run out for the Carter administration. At 10:45 a.m., Rosalynn Carter entered the Oval Office to tell her husband that the Reagans were arriving; it was time to pack up and dress for the ceremonies. At 12:33 p.m., as Ronald Reagan concluded his inaugural address, the Secret Service alerted Jimmy Carter that Iran had released the plane. Mr. Carter would later write in his memoirs Keeping Faith, “I was overwhelmed with happiness—but because of the hostages’ freedom, not mine.”
Following his successor’s inauguration, Jimmy Carter returned to his hometown of Plains, Georgia. Since then, Jimmy Carter has stayed active in international affairs, written over fifteen books, and is a regular volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that builds homes for low-income families.
The entrance to Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta
On October 2, 1984, Jimmy Carter broke ground outside of downtown Atlanta for his largest project—-the Carter Library and Museum and the Carter Center. The museum recently underwent a $10 million overhaul and formally reopened to the public on President Carter’s eighty-fifth birthday, October 1, 2009. It now devotes more space than any other presidential library to life after the Oval Office; about a third of the museum is dedicated to Mr. Carter’s life after he was defeated by Ronald Reagan in 1980. Since its original opening, the museum has drawn thousands of visitors annually. Researchers at the Carter Center, housed in the same complex, can explore issues such as human rights, conflict resolution, and health policy.
This statue on the grounds of the complex commemorates Carter’s battle against the guinea worm in Africa
Mr. Carter is not likely to be buried at his library, saying in a 2006 C-SPAN interview that he and Rosalynn would be buried near their home in Plains, Georgia. “Plains is special to us. I could be buried in Arlington Cemetery or wherever I want, but my wife was born here and I was born here.”
As for his place in history Jimmy Carter would like to “… be remembered for things that [I] did that contributed to peace and human rights. I’d like people to understand that I have been honest and truthful, that I’ve loved the simpler things of life.” In 2002, Mr. Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work promoting human rights and international peace.
The museum houses a replica of Carter’s Oval Office
Touring the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum and The Carter Center
The Carter Library and Museum and the Carter Center are located in one complex in Atlanta, Georgia, two miles from downtown. The Library and Museum is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission to the Library and Museum is $8.00 for adults, $6.00 for senior citizens, military, and students with ID, and free for children age sixteen and under.
To reach the complex from the north or south: Take Interstate 75/85 to exit 248C, the Freedom Parkway. Follow the signs to the Carter Complex.
From the east or west: Take I-20 to Moreland Avenue North. Turn left on Freedom Parkway. Follow the signs to the Carter Complex.
For additional information
The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum
441 Freedom Parkway
Atlanta, Georgia 30307-1498
Phone: (404) 865-7100
www.jimmycarterlibrary.org
The Carter Center
453 Freedom Parkway
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 331-3900
www.cartercenter.org