Jimmy Carter Facts - 39th President of USA

The thirty-ninth president of the United States of America Jimmy Carter Facts. He was born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia.

Jimmy Carter Life

Jimmy Carter Facts - Peanut farming, politics, and the Baptist religion were a big part of his upbringing. In 1946, he graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

Carter married Rosalynn Smith. Together the couple had three sons and one daughter: John William, James Earl III, Donnel Jeffrey, and Amy Lynn.

Jimmy Carter Career

Jimmy Carter worked as a naval officer for seven years, and upon his completion, he returned to Plains, Georgia, where he was elected Governor of Georgia. He used his governorship to emphasize government efficiency, ecology, and removing barriers based on race.

Jimmy Carter announced that he was going to be a candidate for President of the United States in December of 1974. His campaign gained momentum with time. He was chosen as the Democratic candidate at the first ballot, and he chose Walter Mondale, a Senator from Minnesota as his running mate.

President Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter had to campaign against the Republican candidate and current President, Gerald R. Ford, and they debated three times during the campaign. Jimmy Carter won the general Presidential election by 297 electoral votes to 241 electoral votes.

During his presidency, Carter worked to combat inflation and unemployment.  By the conclusion of his administration, Carter could say that there was an increase in around eight million jobs and the budget deficit had decreased.

On the other hand, both interest rates and inflation were close to record highs. Attempting to reduce those rates and inflation caused a recession for the short term.

Jimmy Carter Achievements

Jimmy Carter had a number of domestic achievements. First, he was able to deal with the shortage of energy through the establishment of national energy policy and by stimulating production by decontrolling the prices of domestic petroleum.

Also, he encouraged the efficiency of government by civil service reform and deregulation of the trucking and the airline industries. He made attempts to improve the environment and expanded the national park system. This included protection guaranteed to 103 million acres of land located in Alaska.

In order to increase social services, he began the Department of Education, strengthened the Social Security system, and also appointed record numbers of Hispanics, blacks, and women to jobs in government.

Jimmy Carter's foreign policy came from his efforts to improve human rights. This was not received well by some countries, such as the Soviet Union. Moreover, he helped bring peace between Israel and Egypt.

Also, he obtained a ratification of the Panama Canal treaties. The negotiation for the SALT II nuclear limitation treaty was completed with the Soviet Union. To his credit, he also was able to establish full diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China.

Carter's administration was not without problems. The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, and this caused the ratification of the SALT II pact to be delayed.

Additionally, the staff at the U.S. embassy in Iran were taken hostage towards the end of Carter's administration. Their rescue was initially unsuccessful. That combined with inflation issues may have led to the defeat in the Presidential election in 1980. Carter did not give up on the hostages and continued negotiations. The 52 Americans were released on the same day that Carter left the office.

Read Jimmy Carter Facts

BIRTH
October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia

MOTHER
(Bessie) Lillian Gordy

FATHER
(James) Earl Carter

SISTERS
Gloria and Ruth

BROTHERS
William (Billy) Alton Carter, III

MARRIAGE
(Eleanor) Rosalynn Smith

CHILDREN
John William (Jack), James Earl III (Chip), Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff)
and Amy Lynn

EDUCATION
Plains High School
Attended Georgia Southwestern College (1941-1942)
Georgia Institute of Technology (1942-1943)
B.S U.S. Naval Academy (1943- 1946)
Attended Union College (1952-1953)

RELIGION
Baptist

PRE-PRESIDENCY PROFESSION
Farmer, businessman, Naval Officer

MILITARY SERVICE
U.S. Navy Ensign discharged as Lieutenant Senior Grade
Served on nuclear submarines in the early 1950s

POLITICAL LIFE

Georgia State Senator (1963-1975)
Georgia Governor (1971-1975)
US President, one term

POLITICAL PARTY
Democrat

INAUGURATION
January 20, 1977, at the age of 52
Jimmy Carter - Inaugural Address

Jimmy Carter Administration

PRESIDENCY
One term (1977-1981)

VICE PRESIDENT
Walter Mondale (1977-1981)

FIRST LADY
Rosalynn Carter (1977-1981)
Facts about Rosalynn Carter
Biography of Rosalynn Carter

WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF
Hamilton Jordan (1979-1980)
Jack H. Watson (1880-1981)

SUPREME COURT APPOINTMENTS  (None)

Jimmy Carter Cabinet
SECRETARY OF STATE
Cyrus R. Vance (1977-1980)
Edmund S. Muskie (1980-1981)

SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY
W. Michael Blumenthal (1977-1979)
G. William Miller (1979-1981)

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
Harold Brown (1977-1981)

ATTORNEY GENERAL
Griffin B. Bell (1977-1979)
Benjamin R. Civiletti (1979-1981)

SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR
Cecil D. Andrus (1977-1981)

SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE
Robert S. Bergland (1977-1981)

SECRETARY OF COMMERCE
Jaunita M. Kreps (1977-1979)

SECRETARY OF LABOR
F. Ray Marshall (1977-1981)

SECRETARY OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE
Joseph A. Califano Jr. (1977-1979)
Patricia Roberts Harris (1979-1981)

SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Patricia R. Harris (1977-1979)
Moon Landrieu (1979-1981)

SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
Brock Adams (1977-1979)
Neil E. Goldschmidt (1979-1981)

SECRETARY OF ENERGY
James R. Schlesinger (1977-1979)
Charles W. Duncan (1979-1981)

SECRETARY OF EDUCATION
Shirley M. Hufstedler (1979-1981)

POST PRESIDENCY LIFE

Speaker, writer, consultant to habitat for humanity,
diplomatic and humanitarian missions.

LANDMARKS
Plains Nursing Center, Inc. Plains Ga. (birthplace)
Jimmy Carter National Historic Site, Plains, Ga.
The Carter Center and the Jimmy Carter Library,
Atlanta, Ga. (includes a museum)