She was a member of the Governor’s Commission to Improve Services to the Mentally and Emotionally Handicapped, an honorary chairperson of the Georgia Special Olympics, and a volunteer at an Atlanta hospital-all of which left her with an impressive professional resume in the mental health field. More importantly, however, she followed her newfound interest and worked to overhaul the state’s mental health system. When Jimmy was ultimately elected governor, Rosalynn saw to all the traditional responsibilities of a first lady, such as hosting, but she also went further, taking over the financial accounting of the governor’s mansion as well as its landscaping and also wrote a book about the mansion. It was on the campaign trail that Rosalynn became deeply interested in mental health issues, as a result of her frequent conversations with his constituents. The couple’s working partnership was further cemented when Jimmy ran for governor of Georgia in 1970 and Rosalynn campaigned for her husband. She also handled his political correspondence during his subsequent two terms. In 1961, Jimmy Carter was elected to the Georgia Senate, frequently leaving Rosalynn to see to the business while he was away attending legislative sessions. They were married on July 7, 1946, at Plains Methodist Church. Undeterred, Carter proposed again two months later, and Rosalynn accepted. In December 1945, Jimmy proposed to Rosalynn, who refused because she thought it too early in their courtship. She enrolled in Georgia Southwestern College (now Georgia Southwestern State University), and the summer after her freshman year, she began dating Jimmy Carter, her best friend’s older brother, and a cadet at the Annapolis Naval Academy. Rosalynn attended local high school in Plains and graduated as valedictorian. Her mother also took on various jobs to help support them. However, in 1940, when her father died, Rosalynn was forced to take a job as a hairdresser to help her mother make ends meet. Her father, Wilburn Edgar Smith, worked as a mechanic and a farmer, and her mother, Allethea “Allie” Murray Smith, was a housewife. ![]() The first of four children, Rosalynn Carter was born Eleanor Rosalynn Smith on August 18, 1927, in Plains, Georgia. Rosalynn Carter as a baby Jimmy Carter Library Quick FactsįULL NAME: Eleanor Rosalynn Smith Carter BORN: AugDIED: NovemBIRTHPLACE: Plains, Georgia SPOUSE: Jimmy Carter (1946-2023) CHILDREN: John, James, Donnel, and Amy ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Leo Early Life Rosalynn died on November 19, 2023, at age 96. The humanitarian continued to advocate for mental health, peace, as well as freedom and democracy through The Carter Center, a nonprofit that she founded with her husband in 1982. One of her most important roles during her husband’s presidency was as the honorary chair of the President’s Commission on Mental Health. when he was inaugurated as president in 1977. Rosalynn became first lady of Georgia when her husband won the governor’s role in 1970 and first lady of the U.S. She married fellow Plains, Georgia, local Jimmy Carter at age 18 and was at his side during his political rise in the 1960s. Rosalynn Carter was a former first lady of the United States. Rosalynn and Jimmy, who is 99 and has been in hospice care since February, were last scene in public earlier this fall, while riding through the annual Plains Peanut Festival on September 23. The family announced she had dementia this May. Her death comes two days after her grandson Jason Carter announced Rosalynn had entered hospice care. ![]() ![]() She also continued working to improve mental health services-a cause she developed a passion for while Jimmy was campaigning to become Georgia’s governor-and helped pass the Mental Health Systems Bill in 1980. Rosalynn served as first lady from 1977 to 1981, reshaping what the role entailed by counseling her husband on domestic and foreign affairs, advising him on speeches, and even attending cabinet meetings. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.” “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. ![]() “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” the former president said in a statement. The 96-year-old, who had dementia, was surrounded by her family, including her husband, former President Jimmy Carter. 1927-2023 Rosalynn Carter Today: Former First Lady Dies at Age 96įormer First Lady Rosalynn Carter died peacefully on November 19 at her home in Plains, Georgia.
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