Former President James “Jimmy” Carter passed away this weekend at the age of 100, and while his single term as Chief Executive of the United States was viewed in an unfavorable light, his post-presidency years show a life devoted to the service of others. From the pursuit of peace to countless humanitarian projects, it was certainly a life boldly lived!
The 39th President of the United States
President Carter became the 39th President after winning the 1977 election. During his term, he aspired for his government to become competent, compassionate, and responsive to the needs and hopes of the people. But in a time where energy costs rose at absurd rates, inflation influxes, and continuing tensions, meeting their expectations was a challenge unlike any other.
Despite these setbacks, Carter proved his worth and achieved notable progress to counter the problems his administration faced during his four-year service. While they’re not meeting the high expectations set by the public, his efforts allowed for success in dealing with the nation’s energy shortage and boosting government efficiency.
“Everyone who has run knows that its most important value is in removing tension and allowing a release from whatever other cares the day may bring.” -Former President Jimmy Carter
Teaching at Emory University
After finishing his term as president, President Carter began his career within the academe as a professor at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1982. He joined the Emory faculty as a University Distinguished Professor nearly a year after leaving the White House and became a steady presence at the university for almost four decades.
Teaching had been one of President Carter’s many options for his post-presidential career. While he had numerous offers from different public and private universities, he chose Emory after deciding with his wife, Rosalynn.
The former president noted that Emory had a moral and ethical vision they could share and help to advance. The position also allowed him to speak with students about controversial issues freely. In addition, it helped him become more aware of the younger generation’s thoughts and ideals, something he found significant during his teaching career.
In his 37-year career at Emory University, President Carter focused his lectures on several subjects about once a month. They range from religion and public health to history and political sciences. In addition, the former president allowed the requests of any Emory professor to address their class, providing him access to know more about students with different majors and academic backgrounds. Besides his lectures on varied topics, he also held yearly town hall sessions where first-year students heard him speak and asked questions.
In early 2019, Emory University granted President Carter tenure for his over three and a half decades of service as a professor at the institution. He became the first tenured faculty member of the school to hold a Nobel Prize and served as president of the United States.
“When I left the White House, I decided not to join any corporate boards and not to take part in commercial ventures. I’ve long had an ambition to teach.” – Former President Jimmy Carter
The Launch and Success of The Carter Center
In September 1982, President Carter launched The Carter Center, a non-government organization, in partnership with Emory University. The organization aimed to promote human rights and improve the quality of human life special focus on the pursuit of conflict resolution.
Carter stated few limits on the agenda of the organization and chose to address complex problems as his first project. Some were the Middle East peace talks, international security and arms control issues, and global health policy.
The Center’s peace programs aimed to support democratic governments in threatened countries by spearheading election observations. Their success showed positive results as they monitored over 105 national elections to ensure the people’s collective will.
While providing aid and programs with the Carter Center, President Carter also continued his diplomatic activities around the globe. In 1994, he negotiated with North Korea to stop their nuclear weapons program and worked in Haiti for a guaranteed peaceful government transfer. In addition, President Carter also organized a temporary ceasefire between the Muslims and Bosnian Serbs.
Amidst his success as a human rights advocate and peace negotiator, President Carter and his organization’s biggest legacy is on health care. In 1986, the Carter Center’s health program focused on an international campaign to wipe out the Guinea worm disease. The parasitic infection that came from drinking contaminated water affected an annual average of 3.5 million people worldwide, especially in low-income, tropical nations.
While it’s a rarely fatal illness, the parasite infests the body for months leading to secondary infections and causing permanent disability. Due to the lack of a vaccine against it, the Carter Center centered its efforts on training more than 100,000 village-based healthcare workers to treat Guinea worm disease alongside other diseases. In addition, they also offered education programs to teach disease transmission and prevention.
Besides the Carter Center, President Carter and his late wife partnered with Habitat for Humanity in 1984. Every year, the couple spent a week building and advocating for affordable housing in different parts of the world.
In 2002, Carter received a Nobel Peace Prize for Peace. The award cemented his efforts and projects in pursuing global peace and awareness.
“The experience of democracy is like the experience of life itself- always changing, infinite in its variety, sometimes turbulent and all the more valuable for having been tested by adversity.” – Former President Jimmy Carter
A Life of Service, A Life Boldly Lived
President Jimmy Carter’s legacy on human rights, health care, and global peace will forever remain a blueprint and inspiration for generations to come. His life-long service to the public is a prime example of a president’s pledge: to lead, serve, and protect his country in whatever capacity he can.
Don’t forget the book that lays out the principles of goal-achievement and attaining a Bold Life!
