Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter dies at 100

Former President Jimmy Carter and wife Rosalyn converse prior to the start of a 2010 Atlanta Braves playoff game. Carter, who served one term from 1977-1981, died Sunday at age 100, two years after the death of his wife. Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images.

President Jimmy Carter, the longest-lived president in American history, died Sunday Dec. 29, 2024, after spending over a year in hospice care.

Carter, who turned 100 on Oct. 1, died at his home in Plains Sunday surrounded by family, according to the Carter Center.

“My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love,” Chip Carter, the former president’s son, said in a statement. “My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.”

Maryland officials were quick to echo those sentiments, with statements praising Carter’s commitment to human rights and democracy.

Gov. Wes Moore, noting Carter’s 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, said in a statement that the former president “made the world a better place and his legacy will be remembered by generations.” Moore ordered the state flag to be flown at half-staff through Jan. 28 to mark the former president’s death.

The Maryland Democratic Party said Carter, as well known for what he did in the years after his one term in office as for his administration, had an “extraordinary life in office and after his presidency, [that] will continue to inspire all those working towards a future where everyone can pursue their dreams unbound by circumstance and realize their potential regardless of their backgrounds.”

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) said in a statement that Carter “was as humble and genuine as they come” and the he was a role model who showed “that you can be honest and straightforward with the American people and you could accomplish a great deal.”

Rep. David Trone (D-6th), who worked on Carter’s 1976 campaign, focused on his helping broker peace between Egypt and Israel in the Camp David Accords and his negotiation of a nuclear limitation treaty with the former Soviet Union. He said in a social media post that Carter  “will forever be remembered as a man who aimed to create a more peaceful world and protect our environment for future generations.”

President Joe Biden said the nation lost “an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian.” He ordered flags flown at half-staff for the next month, and an official state funeral for Carter in Washington, and designated Jan. 9 as a national day of mourning.

Public services are planned for Atlanta and Washington, with a private burial service following in Plains. A full schedule has not yet been released.

President Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter were beloved residents of Plains, the small town in southwest Georgia where the couple grew up. Rosalynn Carter died Nov. 19, 2023, at age 96.

Their affection for one another never seemed to fade during their 77-year marriage, which spanned Carter’s ever-changing career, from peanut farmer to state senator, governor and president, as well as his post-White House roles as diplomat, humanitarian and volunteer.

The former president’s passion for helping others and devotion to his faith, family and country garnered praise from Georgia’s political leaders. Carter is the only Georgian ever to serve as president.

In a statement, Gov. Brian Kemp praised Carter’s dedication to the state and the nation as well as his humanitarian work and love for the former first lady.

“Their family continues to be in our prayers as President Carter is reunited with his beloved wife and the world mourns this native Georgian, former state and national leader, and proud peanut farmer from Plains,” Kemp said.

Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) called Carter a hero, a friend and one of his favorite people, who moved the country “closer toward our highest ideals.”

“A former president, he got his hands dirty, literally building people’s homes while helping them build their lives. President Carter was a Matthew 25 Christian. He believed, as I do, that the true test of your faith is the depth of your commitment to the most marginalized members of the human family,” Warnock said. “I believe he passed that test and has now graduated into immortality. Democracies around the world are stronger and children across the globe are alive today because of President Carter’s work—what a legacy to leave.”

Georgia’s other senator, Democratic Sen Jon Ossoff, said Carter will be remembered for “his commitment to democracy and human rights, his enduring faith, his philanthropic leadership and his deep love of family.”

“From Plains to across the State of Georgia, the United States, and around the world, millions will forever admire and appreciate all that President Carter did for the United States and for the global community,” Ossoff said. “The State of Georgia and the United States are better places because of President Jimmy Carter.”

As president, he helped broker the Camp David Peace Accords between Israel and Egypt, established diplomatic relations with China, and oversaw the creation of the departments of Energy and Education, among other accomplishments.

But he would serve only one term as president, losing to Ronald Reagan in 1980 amid a struggling economy and the Iranian hostage crisis.

His popularity increased after leaving the White House, becoming the face of Habitat for Humanity – and even showing up at his namesake build after suffering injuries in a fall – and taking on global crises and strife with his Atlanta-based Carter Center.

He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for “his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”

Carter was also a prolific author who was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for a memoir about growing up on a Georgia farm in the rural South after the Great Depression and before the civil rights movement. He won a Grammy three times for his audio books and was nominated another nine times.

The Carters returned to their hometown after leaving the White House, moving back into the same modest ranch-style home they first purchased in 1961. A devout Christian, Carter famously continued to teach Sunday School class at Maranatha Baptist Church until 2020, ending a four-decade run that became part of Georgia political lore.

Carter overcame brain cancer in 2015 and several accidents in recent years.

The former president also continued to wield influence in politics – especially in Georgia. He continued to endorse candidates in high-profile races, including Vice President Kamala Harris. His grandson Jason Carter told reporters last year that Carter was hanging on so he could cast a ballot for Harris.

Carter also threw his endorsement behind top Democrats including Warnock and gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams – and hosted the Bidens at the home in Plains in 2021. Back in 1976, Biden, then a senator, was one of the first elected officials outside Georgia to back Carter’s presidential run.

The Atlanta-based Carter Center announced Feb. 18, 2023, that Carter had decided to enter hospice care and spend his remaining time at home with his family. The announcement triggered an outpouring of tributes and fond remembrances from Georgians on both sides of the aisle.

– Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor John McCosh for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com.

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