American President

Jimmy Carter (1924– )

Facts at a Glance

Term: 39th President of the United States (1977–1981)

Born: October 1, 1924, Plains, Georgia

Full Name: James Earl Carter, Jr.

Education: Georgia Southwestern College, 1941–1942; Georgia Institute of Technology, 1942–1943; United States Naval Academy, 1943–1946 (class of 1947); Union College, 1952–1953

Religion: Baptist

Marriage: Eleanor Rosalynn Smith (b. August 18, 1927), July 7, 1946

Children: John William (Jack) (1947–), James Earl III (Chip) (1950–), Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff) (1952–), Amy Lynn (1967–)

Career: Soldier; Farmer, Warehouseman, Public Official, Professor

Political Party: Democrat

Writings: Why Not the Best? (1975); A Government as Good as Its People (1977); The Wit and Wisdom of Jimmy Carter (1977); Keeping Faith (1982); Everything to Gain (1987); An Outdoor Journal (1988); Turning Point (1992); The Blood of Abraham (1993); Always a Reckoning (1995); Living Faith (1996); The Virtues of Aging (1998); An Hour Before Daylight (2001); The Hornet’s Nest (2003); Sharing Good Times (2004).

A Life in Brief: Jimmy Carter’s one-term presidency is remembered for the events that overwhelmed it—inflation, energy crisis, war in Afghanistan, and hostages in Iran. After one term in office, voters strongly rejected Jimmy Carter’s honest but gloomy outlook in favor of Ronald Reagan’s telegenic optimism. More . . .

Address to the Nation on Energy (April 18, 1977)

Presidential Speech Archive

Essays on Jimmy Carter and His Administration

Jimmy Carter: A Life in Brief; Life Before the Presidency; Campaigns and Elections; Domestic Affairs; Foreign Affairs; Life After the Presidency; Family Life; The American Franchise; Impact and Legacy; Key Events
First Lady: Rosalynn Carter
Vice President: Walter Mondale
Secretary of State: Cyrus Vance (1977–1980); Edmund Muskie (1980–1981)
Secretary of Defense: Harold Brown (1977–1981)
Secretary of the Interior: Cecil D. Andrus (1977–1981)
Secretary of Commerce: Juanita Kreps (1977–1979); Philip Klutznick (1979–1981)
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare: Joseph A. Califano, Jr. (1977–1979); Patricia R. Harris (1979–1980)
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Patricia R. Harris (1980–1981)
Secretary of Transportation: Brock Adams (1977–1979); Neil Goldschmidt (1979–1981)
Secretary of the Treasury: W. Michael Blumenthal (1977–1979); G. William Miller (1979–1981)
Attorney General: Griffin Bell (1977–1979); Benjamin Civiletti (1979–1981)
Secretary of Agriculture: Robert Bergland (1977–1981)
Secretary of Labor: F. Ray Marshall (1977–1981)
Secretary of Education: Shirley Hufstedler (1980–1981)
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Patricia R. Harris (1977–1979); Moon Landrieu (1979–1981)
Secretary of Energy: James R. Schlesinger (1977–1979); Charles Duncan, Jr. (1979–1981)

Consulting Editor: Robert A. Strong

Professor Strong is the William Lyne Wilson Professor of Politics at Washington and Lee University. He is also an associate editor of the White House Studies journal and has worked on the Presidential Oral History program at the Miller Center. His writings include:

Working in the World: Jimmy Carter and the Making of American Foreign Policy (Louisiana State University Press, 2000)

Decisions and Dilemmas: Case Studies in Presidential Foreign Policy Making (M.E. Sharpe, 2005)

Presidential Speeches

Below are selections from the Miller Center’s Jimmy Carter speech collection.

February 2, 1977—Report to the American People on Energy

September 17, 1978—Remarks on Joint Statement at Camp David Summit

July 15, 1979—“Crisis of Confidence” Speech

Scholarship and Speakers

The Miller Center is a national nonpartisan center to research, reflect, and report on American government, with special attention to the central role and history of the presidency. Below is a selection of Miller Center resources on Jimmy Carter.

Listen to Carter’s 1980 Miller Center Oral history interview. Full Miller Center Carter Oral History Archive.

Listen to Ray Marshall’s 1988 presentation at the Miller Center on the Carter Presidency. Marshall served as Secretary of Labor under Carter.

As President, Jimmy Carter approved a secret military mission to attempt to free hostages in Iran. Click here to learn more about the Miller Center’s National War Powers Commission.

Learn more about the Miller Center’s National Commission on Federal Election Reform and its relationship to Carter.

Scripps Library Reference Resources

Below are links to reference resources prepared by the Miller Center’s Scripps Library, designed to help students and scholars conduct their research quickly.

Information on Jimmy Carter’s Private and Public Papers

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