Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter: Biography, Family Life, and Activism
30 december 2024 в 02:13
Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter was by her husband’s side, former President Jimmy Carter, for decades. Throughout Jimmy’s campaigns for governor and president, Rosalynn supported him, becoming a public figure and activist during her husband’s presidency. She expressed her views on various issues and became a strong advocate for a wide range of causes. Rosalynn passed away in 2023, and her husband followed her a year later after it was revealed that he had sought palliative care.
The former president announced that he would begin receiving palliative care with his family by his side in a statement from the Carter Center in February 2023, which read: «After a series of brief hospital stays, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has decided today to spend the remainder of his time at home with his family and receive palliative care instead of further medical intervention. He has the full support of his family and his medical team. The Carter family requests privacy at this time and thanks his numerous supporters for their concern».
Born in 1927, Rosalynn Smith’s family was already friends with the Carters before the future president and first lady began dating in 1945. The couple started dating when Jimmy was studying at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, and their romance began when he was home on break, according to White House archives. The pair married the following year and moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where Jimmy was stationed. In the same year they married, Rosalynn graduated from Georgia Southwestern College, according to the Carter Center.
The couple had four children long before Jimmy began his presidential campaign. They welcomed their first child, Jack, in 1947, a year after their wedding. They welcomed their second son, James Earl «Chip», - in 1950. Their third son, Jeff, was born in 1952, and the couple welcomed their only daughter, Amy, in 1967.
As all their children had grown up, the former first lady also became a grandmother and great-grandmother to 22 children by 2015. «So we try to keep our family together and just enjoy family life», - she told CNN at the time.
One of Rosalynn’s key areas of focus during her time in the public eye was mental health. The first lady was a member of both the Governor’s Commission (when her husband was governor of Georgia) and the Presidential Commission on Mental Health, according to the John F. Kennedy Library. Her work on the commission helped pass the Mental Health Systems Act in 1979. «The mental health problems facing our country are everyone’s problems. People with these problems are ourselves, our families, our neighbors, and our friends», - she said in her testimony before the Senate to help pass the law.
The former first lady continued her work even after her husband’s presidency ended, and she was even honored by the American Psychological Association in 2010. In an article dedicated to her honor, she shared that she was inspired to work on this issue when she met a woman caring for a daughter with mental health issues during the 1966 campaign.
After Jimmy Carter’s presidency ended, Rosalynn and her husband became partners in creating the non-profit organization, the Carter Center. The organization works on human rights advocacy and helping those in need, including addressing mental health issues, which Rosalynn showed she cared deeply about.
The nonpartisan organization outlined its mission on its website, including how it aims to help people facing difficulties. «The Center believes that people can improve their lives when they are provided with necessary skills, knowledge, and access to resources», - the organization says. «The Center values the courage to break new ground»
The former president announced that he would begin receiving palliative care with his family by his side in a statement from the Carter Center in February 2023, which read: «After a series of brief hospital stays, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has decided today to spend the remainder of his time at home with his family and receive palliative care instead of further medical intervention. He has the full support of his family and his medical team. The Carter family requests privacy at this time and thanks his numerous supporters for their concern».
Born in 1927, Rosalynn Smith’s family was already friends with the Carters before the future president and first lady began dating in 1945. The couple started dating when Jimmy was studying at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, and their romance began when he was home on break, according to White House archives. The pair married the following year and moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where Jimmy was stationed. In the same year they married, Rosalynn graduated from Georgia Southwestern College, according to the Carter Center.
The couple had four children long before Jimmy began his presidential campaign. They welcomed their first child, Jack, in 1947, a year after their wedding. They welcomed their second son, James Earl «Chip», - in 1950. Their third son, Jeff, was born in 1952, and the couple welcomed their only daughter, Amy, in 1967.
As all their children had grown up, the former first lady also became a grandmother and great-grandmother to 22 children by 2015. «So we try to keep our family together and just enjoy family life», - she told CNN at the time.
One of Rosalynn’s key areas of focus during her time in the public eye was mental health. The first lady was a member of both the Governor’s Commission (when her husband was governor of Georgia) and the Presidential Commission on Mental Health, according to the John F. Kennedy Library. Her work on the commission helped pass the Mental Health Systems Act in 1979. «The mental health problems facing our country are everyone’s problems. People with these problems are ourselves, our families, our neighbors, and our friends», - she said in her testimony before the Senate to help pass the law.
The former first lady continued her work even after her husband’s presidency ended, and she was even honored by the American Psychological Association in 2010. In an article dedicated to her honor, she shared that she was inspired to work on this issue when she met a woman caring for a daughter with mental health issues during the 1966 campaign.
After Jimmy Carter’s presidency ended, Rosalynn and her husband became partners in creating the non-profit organization, the Carter Center. The organization works on human rights advocacy and helping those in need, including addressing mental health issues, which Rosalynn showed she cared deeply about.
The nonpartisan organization outlined its mission on its website, including how it aims to help people facing difficulties. «The Center believes that people can improve their lives when they are provided with necessary skills, knowledge, and access to resources», - the organization says. «The Center values the courage to break new ground»
© Zhinobaeva Margarita
