Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, who served from 1977 to 1981, and the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, died on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 29, at his home in Plains, Georgia. He was 100.
Carter lived longer than any president in U.S. history and celebrated his 100th birthday in October. His wife, Rosalynn, who he was married to for 77 years, died in November 2023. Since 2018 and the death of George H.W. Bush, he was the oldest surviving U.S. president.
Asher Kaufman, John M. Regan, Jr. Director of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, part of the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, issued a statement on former President Carter’s death shortly after hearing the news.
"I speak for all at the Kroc Institute community when I say the death of President Jimmy Carter represents a profound loss for the field of peacemaking and conflict transformation,” said Kaufman.
"President Carter had a steadfast commitment to peace and justice, both on the international stage and at the local level. From the onset of his presidency, he sought to mediate the Arab-Israeli conflict. We have President Carter to thank for the Camp David Accords, which effectively ended the state of war between Egypt and Israel and led to the signing of a peace agreement between the two countries.
“He prioritized the need for peace between Palestianians and Israelis, and was one of the first to take a public stand, stating that if peace is not achieved between the two peoples, Israel’s control of the Occupied Territories would devolve into a system of apartheid. The comparisons of Israel’s control of the Palestinian Occupied Territories and apartheid have since gained widespread traction, with Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other Palestinian, Israeli and international human rights groups. The war, violence and mayhem that has ensued since Oct. 7, 2023, has only increased the need to amplify his call for justice in Israel/Palestine.
“Also admirable was President Carter’s ability to skillfully operate on multiple levels of peacebuilding. He could navigate international labyrinths to broker peace between nations, and was just as comfortable building houses in local communities, such as South Bend, in partnership with organizations like Habitat for Humanity.
“For all of this, we give Jimmy Carter thanks. We have lost a giant among us. Our deepest condolences go to his family for their loss.”
Carter had several connections to the University of Notre Dame and to South Bend.
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He gave the 1977 commencement address at the University at the request of University President Father Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C. The speech is considered one of Carter’s most significant articulations on his approach to foreign policy: one based on human rights, dignity, and decency in values.
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Fr. Hesburgh became a close ally and advisor to Carter during his term as U.S. president, with Carter appointing him to several leadership roles during those four years – as U.S. ambassador to the 1979 United Nations Conference on Science and Technology and as chairman of the U.S. delegation to the conference; as a member of the commission on the creation of the Holocaust Museum; and as chair of the select committee on Immigration and Refugee Policy.
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Their friendship continued long after Carter left the White House, with Carter speaking at Fr. Hesburgh’s memorial service in 2015 and noting their shared commitment to advancing human rights and mitigating violence.
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In 1992, Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, were presented the first annual Notre Dame Award by University President Edward Malloy for the couple’s international humanitarian service and the creation of the Carter Center, a nonpartisan organization focusing on international aid on medical treatment, environmental protection, food production and civil conflict mediation.
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In 2018, the couple returned to Notre Dame to announce the opening of the 35th Carter Work Project and its Annual Building Blitz, sponsored by St. Joseph County Habitat for Humanity. The effort led to 22 houses being built in South Bend over the next week.
For more history on Carter and his association with Notre Dame, read The Observer “From the Archives” article.