Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, known for her advocacy of numerous causes, including mental health, and the wife of former President Jimmy Carter, died at 96 on Sunday, November 19th. She was recently admitted to hospice care at her home in Plains, Georgia. In May 2023, her family announced that she had been diagnosed with dementia, drawing ties between her legacy on the subject of caregiving and her health journey.
The May statement read, “Mrs. Carter has been the nation’s leading mental health advocate for much of her life. First in the Georgia Governor’s Mansion, then in the White House, and later at the Carter Center, she urged improved access to care and decreased stigma about issues surrounding mental health. One in 10 older Americans have dementia, a condition that affects overall mental health.”
The statement continued, “We recognize, as she did more than half a century ago, that stigma is often a barrier that keeps individuals and their families from seeking and getting much-needed support. We hope sharing our family’s news will increase important conversations at kitchen tables and in doctor’s offices around the country.”
Rosalynn was born and raised in Plains, Georgia, graduating as salutatorian of Plains High School and soon after attending Georgia Southwestern College, graduating in 1946. She first became attracted to her husband after seeing a photo of him in his Annapolis uniform, and the couple married in 1946. Rosalynn helped her husband win the governorship of Georgia in 1970 and decided to focus her attention on the mental health field as Georgia’s first lady. She campaigned for her husband during his bid to become President of the United States in the 1976 election, defeating incumbent President Gerald Ford.
She was politically active during her husband’s presidency, declaring that she had no intention of being a traditional first lady. During her husband’s administration, Rosalynn supported his public policies as well as his personal and social life. To remain fully informed, she sat in on Cabinet meetings at the invitation of the President. She also represented her husband in meetings with foreign and domestic leaders, including as an envoy to Latin America in 1977. Rosalynn also campaigned for her husband’s re-election bid in 1980, but he lost to Ronald Reagan.
Since leaving the White House in 1981, Rosalynn has continued to advocate for mental health and other causes and has written several books. She and her husband have contributed to the expansion of the nonprofit housing organization Habitat for Humanity. At 96, she was the longest-living first lady after Bess Truman and was the longest-married first lady. She and former President Carter received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999. Outside of her mental health advocacy, Rosalynn will be remembered most for the loving relationship she shared with her husband.
In an interview, the former President said marrying Rosalynn was “the most important thing in my life.” The couple share four children and 22 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Please keep the Carter family in your prayers during this challenging time.