Rosalynn Carter, former First Lady and Georgia native, dead at 96
Mrs. Carter redefined the role of First Lady.
Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, the wife of the former President and a fierce humanitarian, passed away Sunday in hospice care at the family’s home in Plains, Georgia.
She was 96.
Born Eleanor Rosalynn Smith, Carter was front and center throughout her husband Jimmy’s political career. The two married in 1946, while Jimmy was serving in the U.S. Navy. They are the longest-married White House couple in American history.
Mrs. Carter helped redefine the position of First Lady: she had her own office in the East Wing and attended several meetings with the president’s cabinet and national security team. All the while, the mother of four (and grandmother of 12) was the matriarch of one of America’s most well-known First Families.
Her husband’s administration advocated for world peace and human rights around the world. But a struggling economy and a hostage crisis overseas cast a huge shadow over President Carter’s time in office, which came to an end following his defeat for a second term in 1980.
But Mrs. Carter stood by her husband’s side every step of the way:
“I often acted as a sounding board for him. While explaining a particular issue to me, he could think it through himself; and I and the rest of the family often argued with him more strenuously than his advisers or staff did. To us he was the same participant in our nightly dinner table discussions that he had always been. I soon discovered that it was easier for me to learn about people’s needs as I traveled than it was for him. ... A president, no matter who he is, can become very isolated if he’s not careful.”
The couple returned to their native Plains and went on to establish the Carter Center, which continues to fight against global crises such as disease and hunger. Mrs. Carter cared deeply about mental health issues and used the organization to create a mental health task force, along with a fellowship program for journalists who cover mental health topics.
She and President Carter were awarded the nation’s highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President Bill Clinton in 1999. In her later years she continued her work with the Carter Center and helped her husband find and even build homes for the homeless.
But health challenges and advanced age have been slowing the couple down. The former President has been under hospice care since February and Mrs. Carter entered hospice last week. She was diagnosed with dementia in May.
Their last public appearance together was in September at a peanut festival in their hometown.
President Carter issued a statement Sunday about his wife of 77 years:
“Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” President Carter said. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.”
Reactions from national and state leaders can be read here.