89R20580 EME-D
By: Morales of Harris H.R. No. 598
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Honorable James Earl Carter Jr., the 39th
president of the United States and a greatly admired humanitarian,
passed away on December 29, 2024, at the age of 100; and
WHEREAS, Jimmy Carter was born in Plains, Georgia, on
October 1, 1924, to James Earl and Lillian Carter; he entered the
U.S. Naval Academy during the Second World War and graduated in
1946, a year after the war's close; he went on to become a U.S. Navy
lieutenant, serving as a nuclear engineer and submariner; and
WHEREAS, The young navy midshipman met and fell in love with
Rosalynn Smith, a friend of his younger sister, and married her just
weeks after his graduation from the academy and commission into the
U.S. Navy; following his father's death, he took over the family
peanut farm back in Georgia and began making a name for himself
speaking out in favor of Black voting rights and racial
integration; at the age of 39, he was elected to the Georgia State
Senate, where he served for four years; and
WHEREAS, State Senator Carter first ran for governor of
Georgia in 1966, and he found success in his second bid for that
office in 1970; in his inaugural speech as the state's 76th
governor, he powerfully asserted that "the time for racial
discrimination is over"; as governor, his leadership in efficiency,
racial justice, and progressive reforms set him up as a national
figure who would launch a run for president of the United States in
1976; and
WHEREAS, Governor Carter was elected as the 39th president of
the United States, and he earned the distinction of being the most
recent Democrat to win the State of Texas in a presidential contest;
his presidency was dedicated to humanitarian advancement at home
and around the world, and he began his term by pardoning
approximately 10,000 Vietnam War draft evaders; he also established
the Departments of Energy and Education and expanded domestic
environmental conservation efforts, and his administration was
instrumental in promoting diplomacy abroad; he brokered a peace
agreement between Egypt and Israel with the Camp David Accords, put
pressure on oppressive regimes by leveraging economic and military
aid, and helped secure the release of 52 U.S. citizens during the
Iran Hostage Crisis; and
WHEREAS, President Carter left office in 1981, but he did not
withdraw from public service; he established the Carter Center
alongside his wife with the purpose to promote human rights,
democracy, and public health, and the center's many accomplishments
included negotiating a peace agreement during the Sudan Civil War
and diplomatically easing U.S. tensions with North Korea as well as
between Eritrea and Ethiopia; the center has also played a crucial
role in monitoring and ensuring fair elections in more than 40
countries, and it helped to build thousands of homes in
collaboration with Habitat for Humanity; in addition, the Carter
Center has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to disease
prevention, specifically empowering initiatives to combat malaria
and mental health crises, and it has supported efforts to eradicate
Guinea worm, which, at its height, affected an estimated 3.5
million people in 20 countries; and
WHEREAS, Former President Carter and his wife, Rosalynn,
celebrated 77 years of marriage before her passing on
November 19, 2023; they are survived by their four children and
many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Jimmy Carter devoted his life to public service and
humanitarianism, and he leaves behind a legacy that will continue
to inspire generations of Americans for years to come; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable James
Earl Carter Jr., 39th president of the United States, and express
deep appreciation for his many years of dedicated public service;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the Carter Center and the Jimmy Carter Presidential
Library and Museum.