Jimmy Carter celebrated his 100th birthday on October 1. That set a record for presidential longevity. His late wife, Rosalynn, also lived a long life, passing away last year at age 96. Being a bit of a history buff, I once visited his modest boyhood home in Plains, Georgia during a family vacation to Florida. By the way, when you translate his name into French, it becomes “Jacques Cartier” which is quite familiar to most Canadians.
So, who was the 39th president of the United States, whose first name was not Jim or James but the more informal, boyish name, “Jimmy”?
The Pre-President Years
James Earl Carter Jr. was born and raised in 1924 in Plains, Georgia. He was a good student and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy (B.Sc.). He then served in the Navy in the submarine division for several years before returning to his family peanut farm and business in Georgia. Carter entered politics as a Democrat in the 1960s, serving as a Georgia state senator and then becoming governor. He strongly opposed racial segregation.
In 1976 Carter announced (with his broad smile) his run for the White House. Although not well known outside of Georgia, he surprisingly won the Democratic nomination. During the campaign, a reporter asked him an unusual question – “Governor Carter, are you a born-again Christian?” Without hesitation, Carter replied, “Yes.”
Carter had become a Christian as a youth and was an active member of the Maranatha Baptist Church where he taught the adult Sunday School class. He understood that being a Christian meant more than intellectual belief or just attending church. He had sincerely repented of his sins, accepted Jesus as his personal Savior and committed his life to following Him. He had experienced a spiritual rebirth or (in the words of Jesus in John’s Gospel, chapter 3) been “born again”. Reporters quickly picked up his answer and the biblical phrase became better known.
The Presidential Years
Carter narrowly defeated incumbent President Gerald Ford in 1976, who was weakened by his earlier pardon of Richard Nixon after the Watergate scandal. President Carter served one term, from 1977 to 1981. Among his accomplishments were his pardon of Vietnam War draft evaders (on day two of his presidency), a new national energy policy, a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, the return of the Panama Canal, and progress on SALT, reducing nuclear weapons.
However, his administration was also marked (and marred) by the Iran hostage crisis, an energy crisis, economic stagnation, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The latter event prompted the “Carter Doctrine” which threatened the Soviets with war if there was further aggression in the Persian Gulf. The Iran crisis saw 53 Americans held hostage for 444 days, leaving Carter with the image of a weak leader.
Too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption
In a 1979 national address Carter lamented, “In a nation that was proud of hard work, strong families, close-knit communities, and our faith in God, too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption.” It became known as “the malaise speech” (although he never used the word). Ronald Reagan defeated Carter in the 1980 presidential election in a landslide. Although disappointed, Carter graciously accepted defeat, congratulated the new president-elect and attended his inauguration.
The Post-Presidential Years
At age 57, Carter wasn’t finished serving his country and the world. After his failed bid for a second term, he dedicated himself to numerous humanitarian causes. He and Rosalynn established the Carter Center to promote human rights at home and around the world. He continued to travel extensively conducting peace negotiations, monitoring elections, and fighting the spread of infectious diseases. The Carters were key figures in the nonprofit housing organization called Habitat for Humanity (the ReStore outlet on Hwy 20 in Fonthill is part of this). He also found time to write several books. In 2002 Carter was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for all these efforts.
At age 100, Jimmy Carter is the “oldest living, longest-lived and longest-married president, and has the longest post-presidency, at 43 years, 259 days.” He is widely considered to be the “most effective post-President” in recent memory. His lifetime of service was fuelled by his vibrant Christian faith which began in his youth when he was born… a second time.
Rob Weatherby is a retired pastor.
