Jimmy Carter
(10/1/1924 - Present)
About the 39th President
- Full Name: James Earl Carter, Jr.
- Political Party: Democrat
- Presidential Info: 39th President; Served 1 Term from 1977-1981
- Vice President: Walter Mondale
Background Information
- Religion: Baptist
- Parents: James Earl Carter, Sr. & Bessie Lillian Gordy
- Wife: Rosalynn Smith (1946 - present)
- View on Segregation: Jimmy Carter's dad was very pro-segregation, but allowed his son to befriend the African American neighbor kids, as most of their neighbors were African American.
- Family: 3 siblings (2 sisters & 1 brother) and 4 children (3 sons & 1 daughter)
Qualifications
- Lieutenant in the United States Navy
- Served from 1943-1953
- Education
- Georgia Southwestern State University
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
- Union College
- United States Naval Academy
- Professions
- Naval Officer
- Peanut Farmer
- Jimmy Carter's dad gave him 1 acre a child to do whatever he wanted with. Jimmy chose to create a peanut farm and he later leased out apartments that he bought with the money. This was the start to his career and his start in business.
- Politician
- Member of the Georgia Senate, 14th District
- 76th Governor of Virginia
During His Presidency
- 1970's Energy Crisis (Success): Carter wore sweaters and installed solar panels on the White House to help conserve energy.
- Iran Hostage Crisis (Failure): The main reason Carter was not reelcted. He initiated Operation Eagle Claw in 1980 to try and free 52 American citizens in Iran who were held against their will for 444 days. The mission failed, leaving 8 Americans dead and destroying to U.S. aircraft.
- EPA Love Canal Superfund (Success): Carter declared a federal emergency in 1978 for a small neighborhood of Love Canal in Niagra Falls, NY. It was built on top of a toxic waste landfill. He paid to demolish it and evacuate the affected 800 families. This was the first time this was ever done, which saved many lives.
- Airline Deregulation Act (Success): In 1978, President Carter signed this bill into law which allowed airline companies to set their own fares and routes. The FAA is still in charge of the air, but this Act gives the companies more power and freedom.
- Boycott of 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics (Neutral): Due to Soviet invasion in Afghanistan in 1979, Carter decided to boycott the Olympics in Moscow. This was the only time the U.S. was not in an Olympic Games since they were created. This caused controversy, but did not help help or hurt the country. The Soviet Union then boycotted the L.A. Olympics 4 year later.
- Deregulation of the American Beer Industry in 1979 (Success): Carter made it legal to sell malts, hops, and yeast to American home brewers for the first time since Prohibition. This allowed for many small businesses of microbreweries to begin around the country.
Love Canal Disaster
The abandoned neighborhood of Love Canal in New york.
Moscow Olympic Boycott
This is an article explaining that President Carter decided the United States would not compete in the 1980 Olympics.
Airline Deregulation Statistics
These statistics show why the Airline Deregulation Act was such a success.