Rosalynn Carter
| Rosalynn Carter | |
|---|---|
Carter's White House Portrait (1977)
|
|
| First Lady of the United States | |
|
In role January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981 |
|
| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Betty Ford |
| Succeeded by | Nancy Reagan |
| First Lady of Georgia | |
|
In role January 12, 1971 – January 14, 1975 |
|
| Governor | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Hattie Cox |
| Succeeded by | Mary Busbee |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Eleanor Rosalynn Smith August 18, 1927 Plains, Georgia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Jimmy Carter (m. 1946) |
| Children | |
| Alma mater | Georgia Southwestern State University |
| Religion | Baptist |
| Signature |  |
Eleanor Rosalynn Carter (née Smith; born August 18, 1927) is the wife of the 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, and served as the First Lady of the United States from 1977 to 1981. She has for decades been a leading advocate for numerous causes, perhaps most prominently for mental health research. She was politically active during her White House years, sitting in on Cabinet and policy meetings as well as serving as her husband's closest adviser. She also served as an envoy abroad, to Latin America in particular.
Eleanor Rosalynn Smith was born on August 18, 1927 in Plains, Georgia, the eldest of four children of Wilburn Edgar Smith (1896–1940), an automobile mechanic and farmer, and Allethea "Allie" Murray Smith (1905–2000), a dressmaker. Her brothers were William Jerrold "Jerry" Smith (May 5, 1929 – November 20, 2003), an engineer, and Murray Lee Smith (January 19, 1932 – January 26, 2003), a teacher and minister. Her sister, Lillian Allethea Wall, formerly Smith (born November 10, 1936), is a real estate broker. Rosalynn was named after Rosa, her maternal grandmother. Carter claimed that she and her siblings were unaware that they were in poverty, since even though their family "didn't have money," neither did "anyone else, so as far as we knew, we were well off." At the center of her family's community were churches and schools, and the people of Plains had familiarity with each other. Carter played with boys during her early childhood since no girls on her street were the same age as she. She believed that she would become an architect, since she drew buildings and was interested in airplanes.
Rosalynn's father died of leukemia when she was 13. She called the loss of her father the conclusion of her childhood. Thereafter, she helped her mother raise her younger siblings, as well as assisting in the dressmaking business in order to meet the family's financial obligations. At Plains High School, Rosalynn worked hard to achieve her father's dream of her going to college. Rosalynn graduated as salutatorian of Plains High School. Soon after, she attended Georgia Southwestern College, but later dropped out. Though having aspirations to go beyond Plains, she was forced to attend the college due to lack of money and her obligations to her mother and siblings.
...
Wikipedia