1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: Welcome to brainstud a production of iHeartRadio, Hey Brainstuff. Lauren 2 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: Vogelbaum here. American President Jimmy Carter spent only four years 3 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:16,119 Speaker 1: in the White House, but he worked for decades to 4 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: build peace, democracy, and a better quality of life for 5 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:24,079 Speaker 1: fellow Americans and people around the world. His presidential stint 6 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 1: was just a jumping off point for a lifelong devotion 7 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 1: to making the world a better place. Our thirty ninth 8 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:35,559 Speaker 1: President was born James Earl Carter Junior in rural Georgia, 9 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:39,040 Speaker 1: to a father, Earl, who was a peanut farmer and businessman, 10 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:43,599 Speaker 1: and a mother, Lillian, who was a registered nurse. They 11 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: were a faithful Baptist family. Carter attended public school in Plains, 12 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: followed by university study at two Georgia colleges before graduating 13 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 1: from the United States Naval Academy in nineteen forty six. 14 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 1: That same year, he married Rosalind Smith. The two grew 15 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: up just a few miles away from each other. They 16 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: technically first met when he was three and she was 17 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 1: just one day old, and married once they had both 18 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 1: finished college. The'd go on to have four children together. 19 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: During his time with the Navy, Carter served the Atlantic 20 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 1: and Pacific fleets. As a submariner, he achieved the rank 21 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:22,959 Speaker 1: of lieutenant and was assigned to the nuclear submarine program, 22 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: and then did graduate work in reactor technology and nuclear physics. 23 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: But upon his father's death in nineteen fifty three, Carter 24 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: returned to Georgia to run the family farm and its 25 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:37,680 Speaker 1: supply company. Back in Plains, he became active in local 26 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: political life, earning a seat in the Georgia Senate by 27 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty two, a running for governor and losing in 28 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:47,120 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty six, then winning in nineteen seventy, all before 29 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: announcing his run for president in nineteen seventy four. As 30 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 1: governor of Georgia, Carter was a progressive and a reformer. 31 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: He called for an end to segregation in his inaugural 32 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: address and increased to the number of black staff members 33 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: in the state government. He worked to improve the state 34 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 1: government's wasteful bureaucracy, was pro environment, and pushed for more 35 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: funding for schools. Carter entered the White House on January 36 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: twentieth of nineteen seventy seven after defeating President Gerald Ford 37 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 1: with campaign slogans like a leader for a change and 38 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:24,800 Speaker 1: not just peanuts. He inherited challenges of the post Vietnam era, 39 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:30,519 Speaker 1: including rising inflation and unemployment. After four years, the Carter 40 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 1: administration had increased the job market by nearly eight million 41 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:38,239 Speaker 1: jobs and decreased the budget deficit, though inflation and interest 42 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:41,919 Speaker 1: rates were still up before the article. This episode is 43 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 1: based on How Stuff Works. Spoke with Sarah B. Snyder, 44 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: a historian of US foreign relations and an associate professor 45 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:51,920 Speaker 1: at the School of International Service at American University. She 46 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 1: explained that during his presidency, Carter helped restore quote American 47 00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: faith in US government that had been eroded during the 48 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: Nixon and Forward years. American people came to trust him, 49 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: and by extension, came to regain their trust in the 50 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 1: US government. Carter talked more openly than most about his 51 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: faith and how it affected his worldview. The focus was 52 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: on personal morality and the way that the United States 53 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: conducted policies. A. Snyder said it was something he was 54 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: very comfortable talking about, and he linked his own faith to, 55 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 1: for example, his support for human rights. Carter's foreign policy 56 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: was driven by a commitment to human rights, which he 57 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 1: stated in his inaugural address had to be absolute. Generally, 58 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 1: his administration did take steps to support regimes that advanced 59 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 1: human rights and limit cooperation with abusive ones, though critics 60 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 1: have pointed out that they sometimes overlooked violations and the 61 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: interest of forwarding diplomacy and national security. Some of Carter's 62 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: important foreign policy achievements included the signing of the Panama 63 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: Canal Treaties, which returned control of the canal to Panama 64 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 1: and removed a significant irritant in US relations with the 65 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: rest of the Americas. Carter is also known for the 66 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 1: Camp David Accords, in which he helped negotiate a peace 67 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 1: between Israel and Egypt. He also signed the Salt to 68 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:18,159 Speaker 1: Nuclear Limitation Treaty with the Soviet Union, though it never 69 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 1: really went into effect, and established diplomatic relations between the 70 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:27,040 Speaker 1: US and the People's Republic of China. Domestically, the Carter 71 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 1: administration deregulated transportation industries and oil and natural gas prices, 72 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 1: leading to lower costs for both businesses and consumers. He 73 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:41,159 Speaker 1: championed energy security and sustainability and created the Department of 74 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: Energy to handle existing suppliers and research new technologies in 75 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:49,920 Speaker 1: wind and solar power. His administration pushed for environmental protection 76 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:52,839 Speaker 1: in other ways, including doubling the size of the national 77 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:56,600 Speaker 1: park system and tripling the wilderness area through conservation programs 78 00:04:56,640 --> 00:05:01,359 Speaker 1: and places like Alaska. Carter also chanmed education as a 79 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 1: fundamental right that's essential to democracy, and created the Department 80 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 1: of Education to elevate for the first time, the access 81 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:13,840 Speaker 1: to learning to a federal cabinet level priority. He often 82 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 1: struggled with Congress, but found successes like these and in 83 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:22,040 Speaker 1: other programs like raising the minimum wage, despite his recognized 84 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:26,039 Speaker 1: skillet diplomacy. The final year of Carter's presidency was plagued 85 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,719 Speaker 1: by the Russian invasion of Afghanistan and the Iran hostage crisis. 86 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: This was a situation following the revolution that overthrew the 87 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:39,040 Speaker 1: US backed monarchy in Iran. The Carter administration granted the 88 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 1: deposed king asylum in America for cancer treatment, and in protest, 89 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 1: a group of students took sixty six Americans hostage at 90 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:51,839 Speaker 1: the US embassy in Tehran, demanding the Shah's extradition. The 91 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,560 Speaker 1: crisis went on for four hundred and forty four days, 92 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 1: with the final hostages only released on the last day 93 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:02,599 Speaker 1: of Carter's term. Failures to negotiate and to rescue the 94 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: hostages became a political liability. It painted Carter as being 95 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 1: weak or indecisive, and thus, despite gains and trust and jobs, 96 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:17,599 Speaker 1: Carter failed to win a second presidential term. Ronald Reagan 97 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 1: defeated him in a landslide victory. Reagan took four hundred 98 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:25,040 Speaker 1: and eighty nine electoral votes to Carter's forty nine, one 99 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:28,160 Speaker 1: of only ten incumbent presidents to fail to be re elected. 100 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 1: Carter left Washington, d c. In nineteen eighty one, but 101 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:37,400 Speaker 1: his national and international humanitarian work was just beginning. Jimmy 102 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:40,799 Speaker 1: and Rosalind Carter established the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia, 103 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:45,480 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty two in collaboration with Emory University. The 104 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:49,840 Speaker 1: Center is a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization dedicated to, in 105 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:54,360 Speaker 1: their words, resolving conflict, promoting democracy, protecting human rights, and 106 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 1: preventing disease and other afflictions. The building itself is coupled 107 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 1: with the library and museum and opened in nineteen eighty six. 108 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: During the summer, they host a local farmers market on weekends. 109 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 1: Haustuffworks also spoke with Deanna Kong Gilio, who was at 110 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: the time the director of Communications for the Carter Center 111 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 1: and president and Missus Carter's press secretary, As she said, 112 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 1: when they left the White House, they weren't ready to retire. 113 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 1: They were looking for some way to use the influence 114 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 1: they had and continue working on the issues that were 115 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 1: important to them. Since its establishment, the Carter Center has 116 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 1: operated in eighty nations around the world and been a 117 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: pioneer on many fronts. Just for one example, their campaign 118 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:41,400 Speaker 1: to eradicate guinea worm disease has produced cases from three 119 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 1: and a half million worldwide in nineteen eighty six to 120 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:48,240 Speaker 1: fewer than one hundred today. It's also observed more than 121 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 1: one hundred and twenty five elections in countries abroad, working 122 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 1: to share knowledge of democratic processes and standards. The former 123 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: president was also named a University Distinguished Professor at Emory 124 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty two, and he spoke at classes and 125 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 1: hosted town halls and luncheons every year since nineteen eighty four. 126 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 1: President and Missus Carter were also known for their involvement 127 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 1: with Habitat for Humanity International, which works to help people build, repair, 128 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 1: and finance affordable housing in the US and beyond. The 129 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:22,400 Speaker 1: image of a former president personally doing construction work changed 130 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: the way that people thought about a post presidency and 131 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 1: gave the organization a boost. In two thousand and two, 132 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:32,840 Speaker 1: Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his decades 133 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:36,240 Speaker 1: of extraordinary humanitarian work, of just one of four American 134 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:38,920 Speaker 1: presidents to receive the honor and the only one cited 135 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: for his work outside of office. Carter continued to teach 136 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:45,840 Speaker 1: Sunday school at a Baptist church in Plains up until 137 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:50,320 Speaker 1: he was sidelined by the COVID nineteen pandemic. Hou stuff 138 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:53,720 Speaker 1: Works also spoke with Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity. 139 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:58,280 Speaker 1: He said, it is all about service. He really has 140 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:03,079 Speaker 1: lived his faith in such a con assistant way. Reckford 141 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:05,200 Speaker 1: noted that he had been with Carter in situations with 142 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 1: the most powerful people in the world and with the 143 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 1: least powerful, and found him to be the same person 144 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:15,240 Speaker 1: in all of those situations. One famous story about the 145 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 1: Carter's first trip with Habitat for Humanity sums up the 146 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 1: couple's character. In the volunteer housing, only one bedroom was 147 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:26,400 Speaker 1: available and it had been reserved for the Carters, But 148 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 1: when they learned that a couple had decided to celebrate 149 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:32,439 Speaker 1: honeymooning by volunteering with habitat. The Carters gave the bedroom 150 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:35,439 Speaker 1: to them and slept in the common area with everyone else. 151 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 1: Rosalind Carter passed away in November of twenty twenty three, 152 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:43,040 Speaker 1: and her husband followed her a year later, surrounded by 153 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:46,720 Speaker 1: family in Plains. He was one hundred years old, making 154 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:54,960 Speaker 1: him America's longest live president. Today's episode is based on 155 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 1: the article a Portrait of Jimmy Carter, America's oldest living 156 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 1: President ever on HowStuffWorks dot com, written by Kerry Whitney. 157 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 1: Brainstuff is production of iHeartRadio in partnership with hostufforks dot 158 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 1: Com and is produced by Tyler Klang. Four more podcasts 159 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:11,559 Speaker 1: from iHeartRadio. Visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 160 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.