White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin Talks About the Remarkable Journey of President Jimmy Carter from Peanut Farmer to Nobel Peace Prize Recipient
WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The White House Historical Association released a new episode of The White House 1600 Sessions podcast today featuring a conversation about President Jimmy Carter, the longest-lived president, and his life of faith and service. Stewart McLaurin, president of the Association, met with journalist and author, Jonathan Alter and Reverend Julie Pennington-Russell at the First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, D.C., the church home of the Carters while they lived in the White House. Alter spent many years immersing himself in President Carter’s story for his most recent book, “His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life.”
From winning seats on his local county boards, to the Georgia State House and the Oval Office, President Carter was in politics for two decades, but there were many other parts of his life that he valued. President Carter is a master woodworker, loved to go fishing, built homes with Habitat for Humanity, and raised awareness about mental health and caregiving.
“Carter was described by a former president of Emory University as the only man who ever used the presidency as a stepping stone,” said Alter. “Just being president doesn’t make you an inspiration to people around the world. It’s what you do with the power that you’ve been given to change other people’s lives.”
The First Baptist Church was the spiritual home for the Carter family when they lived in Washington. As president-elect, Jimmy Carter attended services here before his Inauguration, and during his time as president he attended more than 70 Sunday services.
Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has created an annual Christmas ornament featuring different presidents sequentially. This year, the Official 2024 White House Christmas Ornament features a unique design inspired by the life and presidency of Jimmy Carter.
The full video of this podcast episode is also available on the White House Historical Association’s YouTube channel here.
The White House 1600 Sessions podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.
About the White House Historical Association
The White House Historical Association was founded in 1961 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy to support her vision to restore and preserve the Executive Mansion and its legacy for generations to come. Mrs. Kennedy sought to inspire Americans, especially children, to explore and engage with American history and its presidents. Supported entirely by private resources, the Association is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that has contributed more than $115 million to the White House in fulfillment of its mission. To learn more about the White House Historical Association, please visit WhiteHouseHistory.org.
SOURCE The White House Historical Association
