“He was a force of good, and a spokesman for what’s good and right and moral and true,” said Dr. Patrick Moore, a Richland history and government professor speaking on the legacy of President Jimmy Carter.
The former president Jimmy Carter died at his home in Plains, Georgia Dec. 29 at the age of 100. Since 2015, Carter had suffered a long battle with metastatic melanoma, a form of skin cancer.
He was born James Earl Carter Jr. on Oct. 1, 1924, in the small town of Plains, Georgia. Growing up in the Deep South, the Carter family’s peanut farm, his Baptist faith and discussing politics at the dinner table were all hallmarks of his youth and upbringing.
“He was a deeply religious man, although he didn’t outwardly show it to others,” said Nicole Coffelt, an associate professor who teaches United States History at Richland. “You know, in other words, he didn’t constantly preach to people, and I think he carried those values through.”
After graduating from high school in 1941, Carter attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, graduating in 1946. Throughout his military service, he served as a lieutenant on the submarine USS Pomfret (SS-391).
After serving for seven years in the Navy, Carter returned to Plains and became a Georgia state senator in 1962. He was elected the governor of Georgia in 1970 and served his term in the capital of Atlanta. In 1974, Carter announced his candidacy for president of the United States and forever changed history.
The fact that he was an outsider to Washington, D.C. was refreshing to Democratic voters in the 1976 election.
“He wasn’t in bed with all those politicians”, said Coffelt. “You know, not part of this social climbing and so forth in D.C. That was what was appealing to him.”
One of President Carter’s achievements in office was the Camp David Accords. In September 1978, Carter, the president of Egypt, Anwar Sadat, and the Israel prime minister, Menachem Begin met in Camp David, Maryland for the signing of a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt.
Another one of Carter’s accomplishments were his efforts to prevent economic stagflation. Stagflation is when high inflation is combined with increased unemployment and zero economic growth. On May 13, 1977, Carter signed the Economic Stimulus Appropriations Act into law after it passed through Congress. This bill provided major tax cuts and helped create new jobs.
“He was effective at moving the country away from stagflation,” said Moore. “Two to 3% inflation is a good thing because it’s necessary to have inflation to fuel growth.”
However, Carter’s presidency had failures and setbacks. Most infamous of all was the Iran Hostage Crisis. On Nov. 4, 1979, a violent mob of Iranian students from the nearby college invaded the U.S. Embassy in the Iranian capital of Tehran and kidnapped 53 American diplomats, holding them hostage. Carter issued Operation Eagle Claw, a rescue mission by the Armed Forces to save the 53 hostages in a remote desert location in Iran known as Desert One.
However, two of the eight rescue helicopters crashed due to mechanical issues, and another helicopter got stuck in a sandstorm. The mission was aborted.
“They attempted rescue, and they didn’t rescue anybody,” said Moore of the incident. “It was a huge propaganda win for Iran because they could show pictures of the crashed helicopters, and it was just a huge failure militarily and public relations wise.”
The failure of the Iran Hostage Crisis and his pessimistic national address known as the “Malaise Speech” ultimately doomed his presidential campaign in the 1980 election, leading him to lose to Ronald Reagan in an electoral landslide, making Carter a one-term president.
Carter’s post presidency is best known for his humanitarian work and his efforts to champion human rights around the world. One of his most notable organizations is The Carter Center. founded in 1982, The Carter Center has a record of resolving global conflicts through diplomacy, promoting democracy in elections around the world and improving health care for people in third-world countries.
Another organization that Carter was widely known for is Habitat for Humanity. Through Habitat for Humanity, Carter and his wife Rosalynn, along with thousands of volunteers, helped build and repair houses for those in need in nearly 14 countries.
“You know, he’s still out there nailing studs,” said Moore on the legacy of Jimmy Carter. “He was an amazing person and very thoughtful and never compromised his principles.”
In memory Carter’s passing, Richland flew all three of its flags at half-staff from the first week of the Spring 2025 semester through Jan. 28.
