Jimmy Carter: Citizen of the South uses oral histories and more than
215 photographs to look at the life of the former president and how the
South nurtured him, provided a launching pad for his political career,
and supported the various activities of his post-presidency. Even people
very familiar with Carter will gain a greater appreciation for the
breadth of civic, religious, and charitable ventures the president has
engaged in since leaving office.
Georgia and the South have shaped much of his life and beliefs. Jimmy
Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, grew up in Plains. Although military
service led him to leave the area for eleven years, upon returning, he
farmed and ran a peanut warehouse while he and Rosalynn raised their
family. In 1962, he won election to the Georgia Senate and became
governor eight years later. With the assistance of many Georgians, he
became president of the United States in 1977.
After losing his bid for reelection, Carter returned home to Plains,
where southerners welcomed him and his wife back and supported their new
endeavors. Carter established the Carter Presidential Library and the
Carter Center in Atlanta and became a professor at Emory University. He
has occasionally commented about world events and periodically meets
with fellow presidents and governors. He taught Sunday school at the
Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains for four decades and has engaged in
humanitarian programs such as Habitat for Humanity around the country
and the world, continuing to educate and inspire generations of
philanthropic activists.
With this informative history, Kaye Lanning Minchew illuminates Carter's
past, present, and his enduring legacy, adding to our understanding of
his impact on both national and international concerns.
