Rosalynn Carter, the United States’ former First Lady, just passed away at age 96 on Nov. 19, 2023. Though most people recognize her as previous President Jimmy Carter’s wife, Carter has proved she is much more than that, as her acts of kindness have left a lasting legacy by making the world a better place.
Carter was born and raised in Plains, GA, where she graduated from both Plains High School and Georgia Southwestern College, now a state university. As a freshman in college, Carter met and soon fell for Jimmy Carter, a U.S Naval Academy attendee in Annapolis at the time, and they went on to get married in 1946. When Jimmy Carter became President, Rosalynn Carter took the First Lady position and supported her husband throughout his time in office. After his term concluded, the couple returned to Georgia where they both participated in Habitats for Humanity, a nonprofit organization helping families find places to live, until she passed peacefully in Plains, GA.
“As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me,” Jimmy Carter said.
While balancing her many responsibilities as the First Lady, Carter simultaneously engaged in ways to help those who struggle with their mental health, including being the honorary chair for the President’s Commission on Mental Health in 1977. One year after she left the First Lady position, she ran the Carter Center’s Mental Health Program in 1982. With the Carter Center, she worked to eliminate stigma against mental illness and helped make a kinder world for those struggling.
“Carter’s death was heartbreaking because of all the good things she has done for the world. Her legacy will always be remembered,” Corinne Thomas, freshman, said.
For years, Carter worked tirelessly to support the people; today, it is safe to say her effort paid off. Carter’s actions both during her time as First Lady and after have promoted society’s public health significantly, helping people who struggle with mental illness feel seen and heard. From charities to non-profit programs, Carter poured her heart and soul into assisting those in need, and therefore, her memory will not be forgotten.
“She will be sorely missed, not only by our family but by the many people who have better mental health care and access to resources for caregiving today,” Chip Carter, Carter’s son, said.
Though Carter’s loss leaves many grieving, her memory will be respected for years to come as her goodwill continues to make the world a better place for all, no matter what struggles society endures.
