Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter to Speak at Georgia Southern University

November 13, 2012

Jimmy Carter, the 39^th President of the United States, and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter will speak at Georgia Southern University’s Hanner Fieldhouse on Feb. 12, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. ET.  The remarks will be a part of Georgia Southern’s popular Leadership Lecture Series, designed to provide its students with an opportunity to hear from influential leaders from throughout the world.  This will be the first time that the former President and First Lady have spoken at Georgia Southern.

“We could not be more excited to welcome President and Mrs. Carter to Georgia Southern University,” said Georgia Southern Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Teresa Thompson, Ph.D.   “At Georgia Southern, our goal is to integrate learning, service and leadership to empower our students to become global citizens who lead with a lifelong commitment to service. The Carters are recognized around the world not only for their leadership, but their commitment to service.  This will be a terrific opportunity for our students to not only hear directly from a former U.S. President and First Lady, but two great citizens of Georgia.”

Jimmy Carter served as President from 1977 to 1981. Successful in the Camp David Accords, the Panama Canal Treaties, and SALT II treaty with the Soviet Union, he may be most notable for his admirable humanitarian efforts following his presidency.  Since leaving office, Carter has gained a reputation as a tireless champion for social justice.  In 1982, he founded The Carter Center, a nonpartisan and nonprofit center that addresses national and international issues of public policy.  He is a University Distinguished Professor at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. and is the author of 27 books.  On Dec. 10, 2002, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Carter “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.”

President Carter was educated in the public schools of Plains, attended Georgia Southwestern College, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Naval Academy in 1946.

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter has worked for more than three decades to improve the quality of life for people around the world.  Today, she is an advocate for mental health, caregiving, early childhood immunization, human rights and conflict resolution through her work at The Carter Center in Atlanta, Ga.  A full partner with the President in all the Center’s activities, the former First Lady is a member of the Carter Center Board of Trustees.

Mrs. Carter served as distinguished centennial lecturer at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Ga., from 1988-1992 and is currently a distinguished fellow at the Emory University Department of Women’s Studies in Atlanta.  She is a graduate of Georgia Southwestern College where she serves as president of the board of directors for the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving.  Mrs. Carter has received numerous honors including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor.  She has written five books and continues to travel and speak throughout the world.  A mother of four, she has maintained a lifelong dedication to issues affecting women and children.

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter volunteer one week a year for Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit organization that helps needy people in the United States and in other countries renovate and build homes for themselves.  Together, the Carters co-wrote the book “Everything to Gain,” which describes their work for Habitat. President Carter also teaches Sunday school and both serve as deacons at the Maranatha Baptist Church of Plains.

President and Mrs. Carter, have three sons, one daughter, nine grandsons, three granddaughters, two great-grandsons and four great-granddaughters.

Carter will be the second U.S. President to speak at Georgia Southern and the visit will mark the first time a President and First Lady have visited Georgia Southern together.  Former President George W. Bush spoke on campus in 2006.  Georgia Southern’s Leadership Lecture Series has included a number of well-known leaders and influencers including former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, political consultants James Carville and Mary Matalin, Toms Shoes Founder Blake Mycoskie, Apollo 13 Astronaut Jim Lovell, and former United Nations ambassador and secretary of state Madeleine Albright to name a few.

Georgia Southern University, a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906, offers more than 120 degree programs serving more than 20,500 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. In 2012, the University was named one of the Top 10 most popular universities in the country by U.S. News & World Report and is a top choice of Georgia’s HOPE scholars.  Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered approach to education. Visit: www.georgiasouthern.edu.