Rosalynn Carter, small town, Georgia girl turned first lady. Mrs Carter was *** wonderful, active, deeply committed patriotic, first lady. Born into humble beginnings. She was 18 years old when she married *** young naval academy graduate who would ultimately become the 39th president of the United States. She kind helped him embody, you know, and together they sort of embodied uh this idea of wholesomeness, right of again, *** restoration of uh American virtues such as truth and honesty in government. During her time at the White House, Mrs Carter made her presence known, sitting in during cabinet meetings and becoming *** leading voice for mental health. Mental health is being on the global level as *** significant health and economic burden, *** stable force during the highs and lows of her husband's one term presidency. She was truly *** political partner to her husband because he really valued her input and valued her experience. But it's the Carter's Post presidential years that will leave an indelible mark, partnering with Habitat for Humanity and founding the Rosalyn Carter Institute for Caregiving and the Carter Center with *** commitment to human rights. I think that they will be uh uh remembered as much for the post presidency as for the presidency, married more than 70 years. Their love story. One for the ages. I've been married all of my life and I don't know how it could have been enriched more if it had not been for Jimmy Carter in Washington. I'm Amy Lou.
Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter has died at 96
In her role as first lady, Carter did everything from helping the president write his speeches to advising him on key issues
![vlog logo]()
Updated: 5:35 AM CST Nov 20, 2023
Rosalynn Carter, former first lady and wife to President Jimmy Carter, has died. She was 96 years old.She died peacefully in the company of her family, according to The Carter Center.Carter was known for her work in her duties as first lady, as well as in the charitable work she participated in long after her husband left the Oval Office. She was active in various philanthropic causes, including mental illness, homelessness, and human rights.Born Eleanor Rosalynn Smith in Plains, Georgia, in 1927, Carter grew up in a small town, working with her mother to help out the family after her father died of cancer when she was 13 years old. Carter attended Georgia Southwestern College (now part of Georgia Southwestern State University). While in college, she began dating Jimmy Carter, who was home from the U.S. Naval Academy. Also from Plains, Jimmy Carter met Rosalynn long before their courtship, when she was a baby and he was 3 years old. They married in 1946.In her role as first lady, Carter did everything from helping the president write his speeches to advising him on key issues. She worked alongside her husband for decades, helping out with his presidential campaigns as well as his preceding campaigns for state senator and governor of Georgia. In 1979, Carter testified before Congress for the Mental Health Systems Act, marking the first time a first lady testified before a congressional committee since Eleanor Roosevelt did so in the 1940s. She continued her work advocating for mental health once her husband left the White House, launching the Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy in 1985, which continued for 32 years.“The President of the United States cares what I think. I find myself in the eye of history. I have influence. And know it,” she said in a 1979 speech. In 1987, she also helped establish the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, which helps support caregivers of people with physical and mental illnesses. She was inspired to get involved in the cause after her experience growing up with a sick father, as well as her mother-in-law, who was a nurse. “I was deeply influenced by how chronic illness affected and shaped my family and by the heroic and selfless efforts of health care providers, including Jimmy's mother, Lillian Carter,” Rosalynn wrote in a 2008 essay published in the scientific journal Preventing Chronic Disease. “The type of assistance that Lillian provided as a nurse is increasingly being provided today by family members.”While Carter was well-known for her work in politics and social justice, one of her most notable accomplishments is her marriage to Jimmy Carter, which at 77 years is the longest marriage between a presidential couple in history. Speaking about their relationship during an interview with Associated Press for their 75th anniversary, Rosalynn Carter said, “It’s a full partnership.”Her husband followed up, saying, “My biggest secret is to marry the right person if you want to have a long-lasting marriage.”Carter and her husband had four children: Amy, Jack, Chip, and Jeff. Between them, they have 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren, including a grandson, Jeremy Carter, who died in 2015.Carter has also been prolific in writing about her life, having authored five books in her lifetime: “First Lady from Plains”; “Everything To Gain: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life” – co-authored with Jimmy Carter; “Helping Yourself Help Others: A Book For Caregivers”; “Helping Someone with Mental Illness: A Compassionate Guide for Family, Friends, and Caregivers”; and “Within Our Reach: Ending the Mental Health Crisis.”“I have learned that you can do anything you want to,"Carter said in a 2013 interview on her role as a first lady. "They used to ask me if I thought the first lady ought to be paid. If you get paid, then I have to do what first lady is supposed to do. But you can do anything you want to, and it's such a great soapbox."
Rosalynn Carter, former first lady and wife to President Jimmy Carter, has died. She was 96 years old.
She died peacefully in the company of her family, according to .
Carter was known for her work in her duties as first lady, as well as in the charitable work she participated in long after her husband left the Oval Office. She was active in various philanthropic causes, including mental illness, homelessness, and human rights.
Born Eleanor Rosalynn Smith in Plains, Georgia, in 1927, Carter grew up in a small town, working with her mother to help out the family after her father died of cancer when she was 13 years old. Carter attended Georgia Southwestern College (now part of Georgia Southwestern State University). While in college, she began dating Jimmy Carter, who was home from the U.S. Naval Academy. Also from Plains, Jimmy Carter met Rosalynn long before their courtship, when she was a baby and he was 3 years old. They married in 1946.
In her role as first lady, Carter did everything from helping the president write his speeches to advising him on key issues. She worked alongside her husband for decades, helping out with his presidential campaigns as well as his preceding campaigns for state senator and governor of Georgia.
In 1979, Carter testified before Congress for the Mental Health Systems Act, marking the first time a first lady testified before a congressional committee since Eleanor Roosevelt did so in the 1940s. She continued her work advocating for mental health once her husband left the White House, launching the Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy in 1985, which continued for 32 years.
“The President of the United States cares what I think. I find myself in the eye of history. I have influence. And know it,”
In 1987, she also helped establish the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, which helps support caregivers of people with physical and mental illnesses. She was inspired to get involved in the cause after her experience growing up with a sick father, as well as her mother-in-law, who was a nurse.
“I was deeply influenced by how chronic illness affected and shaped my family and by the heroic and selfless efforts of health care providers, including Jimmy's mother, Lillian Carter,” Rosalynn wrote in a . “The type of assistance that Lillian provided as a nurse is increasingly being provided today by family members.”
While Carter was well-known for her work in politics and social justice, one of her most notable accomplishments is her marriage to Jimmy Carter, which at 77 years is the longest marriage between a presidential couple in history. Speaking about their relationship during an interview with Associated Press for their 75th anniversary, Rosalynn Carter said, “It’s a full partnership.”
Her husband followed up, saying, “My biggest secret is to marry the right person if you want to have a long-lasting marriage.”
Carter and her husband had four children: Amy, Jack, Chip, and Jeff. Between them, they have 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren, including a grandson, Jeremy Carter, who died in 2015.
Carter has also been prolific in writing about her life, having authored five books in her lifetime: “First Lady from Plains”; “Everything To Gain: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life” – co-authored with Jimmy Carter; “Helping Yourself Help Others: A Book For Caregivers”; “Helping Someone with Mental Illness: A Compassionate Guide for Family, Friends, and Caregivers”; and “Within Our Reach: Ending the Mental Health Crisis.”
“I have learned that you can do anything you want to," in a 2013 interview on her role as a first lady. "They used to ask me if I thought the first lady ought to be paid. If you get paid, then I have to do what first lady is supposed to do. But you can do anything you want to, and it's such a great soapbox."
