As the world mourns the loss of the 39th President of the United States, President Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr), Howard University remembers the many contributions he made to the country he proudly served, as well as his legacy of championing inclusion and diversity within some of its highest offices.  

President Jimmy Carter, born October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia, passed away on December 24, 2024, at the age of 100. A member of the Democratic party, he served as governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975, and in the state senate from 1963 to 1967, before ascending to the presidency in 1977. His term saw several firsts, including his appointment of Howard alumni Patricia Roberts Harris (B.A. ’45) to his cabinet. Harris served as President Carter’s Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, becoming the first Black woman to occupy that role. 

A recent NBC News article refers to President Carter’s term as a “springboard for Black women in politics,” pointing out the appointment of Harris in 1977, as well as his work to elevate other Black women in positions of government, including judgeships, and his nomination of Alexis M. Herman as director of the Woman’s Bureau in the Labor Department, who would later become the first Black woman to be Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton. In the article, Herman credits her introduction to the former president to Andrew Young, another Howard alumni touched by President Carter. 

Andrew Young (B.S. ’51) was appointed by President Carter to serve as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations in 1977, another first for African American appointments in American politics. In an interview on Dec. 31, with Atlanta News First, Young spoke of their initial meeting in 1970, during his Congressional campaign and the former president’s bid to become Georgia’s governor, calling him “probably the wisest and most knowledgeable person I’ve known.” 

President Carter’s legacy of supporting women is well-documented. One of 12 presidents to have appointed women to Cabinet level positions since President Franklin D. Roosevelt first did so in 1933, he is credited with appointing more judges to the federal bench than any other president during a single term. According to data from the Office of the U.S. Courts in a recent Washington Post article, he appointed five times more women and three times more people of color than all previous presidents, combined. 

Following his term as president, he formed the Carter Center, an organization dedicated to the protection and expansion of human rights, and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for “his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development”— amplifying his commitment to service and humanity — echoing Howard’s mission of Truth and Service.  

In a statement shared upon the news of his passing, Howard University President Ben Vinson III, shared, "President Carter's life was a testament to the power of faith, compassion, and a relentless dedication to improving the world. Through his visionary leadership, he appointed Patricia Roberts Harris and Andrew Young, both esteemed Howard University graduates, to his cabinet. Their contributions, empowered by his belief in their excellence, reflected his commitment to justice and equity. May his remarkable journey inspire us all to stand in faith, work for justice, and serve others selflessly. Let us reflect on his legacy as a guiding light for creating a more equitable and compassionate world."

*Main photo above: J. Clay Smith, Jr., President Jimmy Carter and Vice President Walter Mondale in Roosevelt Room at the White House - Digital Howard (Archives).