2 of 4How Rosalynn Carter redefined the role of first ladyRosalynn Carter was the most active first lady since Eleanor Roosevelt.(more)See all videos for this articleJimmy Carter and Rosalynn CarterJimmy Carter and Rosalynn Smith on their wedding day, July 7, 1946.(more)Jimmy Carter: navy serviceJimmy Carter (center, standing) aboard a U.S. Navy submarine. (more)The son of Earl Carter, a peanut warehouser who had served in the state legislature, and Lillian Gordy Carter, a registered nurse who went to India as a volunteer at age 68, Carter attended Georgia Southwestern College and the before graduating from the at , Maryland, in 1946. After marrying Rosalynn Smith ()—who came from Carter’s small hometown, , Georgia—he embarked on a seven-year career in the U.S. Navy, serving submarine duty for five years. He was preparing to become an engineering officer for the submarine Seawolf in 1953 when his father died. Carter resigned his commission and returned to Georgia to manage the family peanut farm operations. Beginning his political career by serving on the local board of education, Carter won election as a to the Georgia state senate in 1962 and was reelected in 1964. In 1966 he failed in a bid for the governorship and, depressed by this experience, found solace in , becoming a born-again . Prior to running again for governor and winning in 1970, Carter at least tacitly adhered to a segregationist approach. However, in his inaugural address he announced that “the time for racial discrimination is over” and proceeded to open Georgia’s government offices to Blacks—and to women. As governor, he reorganized the existing maze of state agencies and consolidated them into larger units while introducing stricter budgeting procedures for them. In the process he came to national attention, finding his way onto the cover of magazine as a symbol of both good government and the “New South.”, James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924 – December 29, 2024) was the 39th president of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, Carter served from 1971 to 1975 as the 76th governor of Georgia and from 1963 to 1967 in the Georgia State Senate., Jimmy Carter (1924–2024) was the 39th president of the United States (1977–81). He served during a time of serious troubles, notable among which was the Iran hostage crisis. For his work in diplomacy and advocacy, both during and after his presidency, he received the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize..