ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who rose to the presidency amid post-Watergate disillusionment and later redefined the role of an ex-president through global humanitarian efforts, has died at 100.

Carter passed away Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he had entered hospice care over a year ago. His death follows that of his wife, Rosalynn Carter, who died in November 2023 at 96.

“Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” The Carter Center announced on the platform X. “He died peacefully, surrounded by his family.”

From Georgia to the White House

Born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, Carter’s journey took him from a modest upbringing to the U.S. Naval Academy and later back to Georgia to manage the family peanut farm. A devout Baptist, he entered politics with a commitment to racial equality, eventually serving as Georgia governor before launching a presidential bid in 1976.

|TRENDING: Shed fire in Belleview quickly contained by MCFR

Running as a Washington outsider, Carter’s promise of honesty resonated with voters weary of corruption after Watergate. Narrowly defeating President Gerald Ford, Carter focused his administration on human rights, environmental conservation, and Middle East peace, famously brokering the 1978 Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel.

Despite these achievements, Carter’s presidency was marred by economic troubles, including double-digit inflation and a prolonged energy crisis. The 1979 Iran hostage crisis further eroded public confidence, contributing to his landslide defeat to Ronald Reagan in 1980.

A Transformative Post-Presidency

After leaving office, Carter dedicated himself to humanitarian work, founding The Carter Center in 1982. The organization has monitored elections in over 100 countries, fought disease in developing nations, and championed human rights.

Carter’s efforts to eradicate guinea worm disease reduced cases from millions in the 1980s to a handful. His commitment to affordable housing led him and Rosalynn to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity for decades.

“I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records,” Carter wrote. “I wanted a place where we could work.”

In 2002, Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize for “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”

A Complex Legacy

Carter’s achievements in diplomacy and public health often overshadowed his single term as president. While he admitted to mistakes, such as a tendency to micromanage, he remained proud of his administration’s focus on peace and human rights.

He normalized U.S.-China relations, negotiated the Panama Canal treaties, and enacted significant environmental protections. His post-presidential critiques of U.S. foreign policy, particularly regarding Iraq and Israel, were both lauded and criticized.

Carter’s humility and sense of service endured throughout his life. He regularly taught Sunday school in Plains and lived in the same modest home where his political career began.

“I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” Carter said in 2015 after a cancer diagnosis. “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, and an exciting, adventurous, and gratifying existence.”

Remembering a Humanitarian

Carter’s impact spanned the globe, but he remained grounded in his hometown. He will be remembered as a statesman, a builder of peace, and a champion for the underserved. His life exemplified his belief: “My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, for as long as I can, with whatever I have, to try to make a difference.”