The LBJ Presidential Library, LBJ Foundation, and Johnson Family Remember President Jimmy Carter

Press Releases | Dec, 29 2024

President Jimmy Carter at the LBJ Presidential Library

The LBJ Presidential Library, LBJ Foundation, and Johnson family remember former President Jimmy Carter. As president, one of Carter's most significant achievements was the 1979 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. Following his one term in office, Carter, along with his wife, Rosalynn, used the post-presidency to pursue his vision for peace and human rights through The Carter Center, becoming a Nobel Peace Prize winner and international hero.

Remembering President Carter

In a 2011 interview at the LBJ Presidential Library, Mark K. Updegrove, then-director of the library, asked Carter to reflect on his presidency.

In that same interview, Carter outlined what he hoped his legacy would be.

Upon learning of Carter's death, Updegrove, now the president and CEO of the LBJ Foundation, said Carter set the standard for a modern activist post-presidency. “Jimmy Carter is a true American hero who defied the odds throughout his remarkable life, soaring to heights politically and philanthropically that few could imagine. He rose to become the 39th President as a little-known one-term governor of Georgia and would go on to win the Nobel Peace Prize as a former President through his inspiring work at The Carter Center. ‘I would like for people to remember,’ he once told me, ‘that I kept the peace and promoted human rights.’ He will get his wish.”

In January 2016, the LBJ Foundation awarded its most prestigious honor, the LBJ Liberty and Justice for All Award, to Carter in recognition of his leadership in public service and tireless efforts toward peace and human rights. President Johnson's daughters, Lynda Johnson Robb and Luci Baines Johnson, presented the award to Carter with his wife, Rosalynn, by his side in a ceremony at the offices of the 39th president in Atlanta, Georgia.

L-R: Lynda Johnson Robb, Jimmy Carter, Luci Baines Johnson, and Rosalynn Carter
President Jimmy Carter receives the 2016 LBJ Liberty & Justice for All Award.
L-R: Lynda Johnson Robb, Jimmy Carter, Luci Baines Johnson, and Rosalynn Carter. Photo by Michael A. Schwarz.

“An extraordinary human being and an unforgettable peacemaker, Jimmy Carter dedicated his life to others. As a military officer, as a volunteer at Habitat for Humanity, and through his work at The Carter Center working to eliminate disease and promote democracy, Jimmy Carter was the embodiment of integrity, a champion of human rights, and an inspiration to us all. God bless this 'good and faithful servant.'" - Lynda Johnson Robb

"President Jimmy Carter was a man of great faith and works who taught us the joy and rewards of giving. He set the standard for being a servant leader and a devoted husband of over 70 years. He was my treasured friend and mentor for over 40 years. Any good that I will ever do will always be inspired by his example. He had so much to be proud of, as America should be proud of him." - Luci Baines Johnson

President Carter graced the halls of the LBJ Library on many occasions. In April 2014, Carter was one of the keynote speakers at the Civil Rights Summit, which commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. In this appearance, Carter told the behind-the-scenes story of the turning point that led to a successful peace treaty between Israel and Egypt.

In that same interview, Carter described how Black culture impacted his upbringing.

Jimmy Carter volunteered at Habitat for Humanity, gave speeches, and taught Sunday school until his death. In his last appearance at the LBJ Library, Mark K. Updegrove asked the former president about his post-presidency and what drove him to continue public service.

Though Lyndon Johnson and Carter never met, as governor of Georgia, Carter wrote former President Johnson a handwritten note in December 1972, after a Civil Rights Symposium Johnson had convened at his presidential library. It read in part, "I have long admired you personally and deeply appreciate your tremendous and unprecedented achievements as president." Johnson responded by asking about the status of a Model Cities program in Georgia. Johnson died a month later.

Jimmy Carter's letter to President Johnson.
Jimmy Carter's letter to President Johnson, Dec. 18, 1972.
President Johnson to Jimmy Carter's letter

Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford

In April 2000, the LBJ Library hosted one of the most remarkable programs in its history. Carter joined former President Gerald Ford on stage for a conversation moderated by the late Tim Russert of NBC News. The two former rivals talked about the issue of civility in politics.

Additional Photos of Jimmy Carter at the LBJ Library

LBJ Library photo by David Valdez
Mark K. Updegrove and President Jimmy Carter at the LBJ Presidential Library, August 8, 2014. LBJ Library photo by David Valdez.
President Jimmy Carter sits in LBJ's chair in the Oval Office exhibition at the LBJ Library.
President Jimmy Carter sits in LBJ's chair in the Oval Office exhibition at the LBJ Library, April 2, 1981. LBJ Library Photo by Frank Wolfe.
President Jimmy Carter speaks at the LBJ Presidential Library, March 6, 1995.
President Jimmy Carter speaks at the LBJ Presidential Library, March 6, 1995. LBJ Library photo by Alan Smith.
Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter, Lady Bird Johnson, and LBJ Library Director Harry Middleton in the Oval Office exhibition at the LBJ Library, March 6, 1995.
Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter, Lady Bird Johnson, and LBJ Library Director Harry Middleton (pictured in full image) in the Oval Office exhibition at the LBJ Library, March 6, 1995. LBJ Library photo by Margaret Harmon.
President Gerald Ford, NBC's Tim Russert, and President Jimmy Carter at the LBJ Presidential Library, April 13, 2000.
President Gerald Ford, NBC's Tim Russert, and President Jimmy Carter at the LBJ Presidential Library, April 13, 2000. LBJ Library photo by Alan Smith.
President Gerald Ford, Lady Bird Johnson, and President Jimmy Carter at the LBJ Presidential Library, April 13, 2000.
President Gerald Ford, Lady Bird Johnson, and President Jimmy Carter at the LBJ Presidential Library, April 13, 2000. LBJ Library photo by Charles Bogel.
President Jimmy Carter speaks at the LBJ Presidential Library as the LBJ Foundation's Harry Middleton Lectureship featured guest, Feb. 15, 2011.
President Jimmy Carter speaks at the LBJ Presidential Library as the LBJ Foundation's Harry Middleton Lectureship featured guest, Feb. 15, 2011. LBJ Library Photo by David Valdez.
President Jimmy Carter with members of the Johnson family.
President Jimmy Carter with members of the Johnson family in the Great Hall of the LBJ Presidential Library during the Civil Rights Summit, April 8, 2014. LBJ Library photo by Eric Draper.
President Jimmy Carter during a Google Hangout session held during the LBJ Presidential Library's Civil Rights Summit, April 8, 2014.
President Jimmy Carter during a Google Hangout session held during the LBJ Presidential Library's Civil Rights Summit, April 8, 2014. LBJ Library photo by David Hume Kennerly.
President Jimmy Carter.
President Jimmy Carter during a Google Hangout session held during the LBJ Presidential Library's Civil Rights Summit, April 8, 2014. LBJ Library photo by Lauren Gerson.
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