I suppose I first became aware of Jimmy Carter when I lived in South Carolina in the 1970s. He was the down-home peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia who had become governor. Long before that happened, Carter graduated from the United States Naval Academy and married Rosalynn Smith in 1946, became a submariner and was eventually chosen by Admiral Hyman Rickover for the nuclear submarine program. Carter undertook graduate work at Union College in nuclear physics and reactor technology, and then served as senior officer of the pre-commissioning crew of the nation’s second nuclear submarine, Seawolf.
Upon the death of Carter’s father in 1953, Jimmy returned to Plains to run the family farm. He and Rosalynn opened Carter’s Warehouse, specializing in seeds and farm supplies. He became a community leader and was elected to the Georgia State Senate in 1962. He won the election for governor in 1970.
In 1974, he declared his candidacy for the presidency. A nation still reeling from the Watergate scandal and the resignation of President Richard Nixon voted for Jimmy Carter to be president in the election of 1976. His accomplishments during his first and only term were many.
According to the Carter Center, “Significant foreign policy accomplishments … included the Panama Canal treaties; the Camp David Accords, the treaty of peace between Egypt and Israel; the SALT II treaty with the Soviet Union, and the establishment of U.S. diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. He championed human rights throughout the world. On the domestic side, the administration’s achievements included a comprehensive energy program conducted by a new Department of Energy; deregulation in energy, transportation, communications, and finance; major educational programs under a new Department of Education; and major environmental protection legislation, including the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, which doubled the size of the national park system and tripled the wilderness areas.”
Still, Carter faced many setbacks during his term. His poor relationships with Congress and the media prevented him from legislative success and effective communication of his policy priorities. Even though Carter didn’t win reelection, his post-presidential life is an example of service to all mankind. From the efforts of the Carter Center to alleviate human suffering and promote legitimate elections, to their work with Habitat for Humanity, the Carters left an enduring legacy and an incredible lesson on how to live one’s life. Carter deservedly won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
1980 was the first time my life’s path crossed Jimmy Carter’s. As a student at the University of South Carolina, I volunteered in Carter’s reelection campaign state headquarters in Columbia. Just a few days before the election, we received word that the president was coming to Columbia for a last-minute campaign stop. I was given the opportunity of a lifetime in being asked to drive a courtesy van in the presidential motorcade. I have written about that here in the past; I might post the story of a white-knuckled senator’s wild ride again if there’s any interest. As the motorcade dropped the president off to depart on Air Force One, this 18-year-old college student was not very far away from the leader of the free world on that airport tarmac.
The second time our paths crossed was in December 2016. Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter, along with their extended family, were spending some holiday time in the Keys. I received a call that told me to be at Sombrero Beach because the Carters were going to help release a sea turtle that was rehabilitated by the Turtle Hospital. Needless to say, I was there. Rosalynn and Jimmy both helped get the turtle on his way, and the crowd in attendance loved it.
I got a chance to meet the Carters and exchange a few words. As I shook the former president’s hand, I related a bit of the story of how a college student in South Carolina got to drive in his motorcade all those years ago. It was an absolute honor to have met them that December day.
When I think of lives dedicated to public service in our nation’s history, I can think of few that came close to Jimmy Carter’s dedication to both his local community, and humanity as a whole. I deeply admire his public service and his desire to make the world a better place, and I’m so glad our paths crossed, even for those brief moments.
– John’s Perpetual Island Tour stops this Wednesday at Dockside, Thursday at Sparky’s Landing, Saturday at the Fish for Jose Event, and Sunday afternoon at Skipjack Tiki Bar. Check out John’s music anywhere you stream or download your music. Or point your browser to johnbartus.hearnow.com
