Traveling with Jimmy Carter

Time in Office: January 1977 to January 1981
Terms: One
Birthday: October 1, 1924
Birth Place: Plains, Georgia

Notes:

~ First President born in a hospital
~ Gift student and star basketball player
~ Served in the US Navy as a Lieutenant – 1946 to 1953
~ Assisted with the shutdown of the Chalk River Nuclear Reactor
~ Created the Departments of Energy and Education
~ Returned the Panama Canal Zone to Panama
~ Founded the Carter Center in 1982
~ Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
~ Key figure in the Habitat for Humanity project

James Earl Carter Jr – forever it seems known as “Jimmy,” was born October 1, 1924 in a hospital near Plains, Georgia. His father was a successful local business leader and his mother, a nurse. He was the eldest of four children.

A gifted student who loved to read, Carter attended Plains High School and then enrolled at Georgia Southwestern College.

After taking some additional math courses at Georgia Tech, Jimmy was accepted at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, 1943. He married Rosalynn Smith in 1946.

Carter applied to the US Navy’s new nuclear submarine program and was based in Schenectady, New York. He was sent to Canada’s Chalk River Laboratory in 1952, the site of a (partial) nuclear reactor meltdown. This experience shaped his views of nuclear power and after the death of his father in 1953, Carter resigned from the Navy and returned to Plains to run the family business.

While successfully managing and expanding the family’s peanut farming business, Carter began to take part in local boards until his election to the State Senate in 1961. By 1966, he declined a return to the Senate in order to seek election as Governor of Georgia – he was not successful. A second run was successful and by January 1971 he was Governor.

Although almost an unknown to the majority of American voters prior to the Presidential campaign of 1976, thanks to the media’s focus on this political “underdog,” along with the support of Christian voters, and his reputation of NOT being a political insider, (remember Watergate!) Jimmy Carter was elected President of the United States.

Travel to the following countries, by year, was taken by Jimmy Carter during his Presidency:

1977
~United Kingdom ~Switzerland ~Poland ~Iran

1978
~Iran ~India ~Saudi Arabia ~Egypt ~France ~Belgium ~Venezuela
~Brazil ~Nigeria ~Liberia ~Panama ~Germany

1979
~France ~Mexico ~Israel ~Egypt (twice) ~Austria ~Japan
~Korea

1980
~Italy ~Yugoslavia ~Spain ~Portugal ~Japan

Presidential Travel

As President, Jimmy had little time for vacations. He liked to head home to Plains, visit St. Simons Island, Georgia, and most “downtime” might find him relaxing while fishing.

President Carter was defeated in his run for re-election in 1980 by Ronald Reagan. During his Presidency, Jimmy Carter traveled some 224,668 miles. President Carter’s last trip aboard Air Force One (SAM 27000) was to Germany to meet and welcome home the 52 American hostages that had been held captive in Iran.

Like most Presidents before him, Carter remained – and this case, remains – very active in politics after the Presidency.

Through his work at The Carter Center with his wife Rosalynn, politics, and other humanitarian causes, former President Carter is the first President we’ve covered during our travels that is still alive and now at the age of 87, is still working.

As you can see from this 2008 photo taken when President Carter was 83, “move or it lose it” seems to be working for this President!

Check out some of the links below to find out what this former President has been up to since 1981.

Links:

Jimmy Carter Library and Museum
President Jimmy Carter – The Miller Center
Habitat for Humanity

Prior: President Gerald Ford
Next: Ronald Reagan

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