Remembering U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his two visits to Gallaudet

James Earl Carter, Jr., the 37th President of the United States, became 100 years old on October 1. He is the longest living former President. Just last week, he also became the oldest person to be nominated for a Grammy Award. This nomination, in the Best Spoken Word Album category, was his tenth. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

Carter signed all Gallaudet diplomas awarded between 1977 and 1980. 

Several years after leaving the White House in 1981, Carter became involved with Habitat for Humanity. He visited Gallaudet twice during his 40-plus years with Habitat: June 14-20, 1992, and October 4, 2010. Carter stayed on campus during his first visit.

Watch a WUSA (Channel 9) video from 1992 about Carter’s visit. 

In 2010, Carter and his wife, Rosalynn joined then-Gallaudet University President T. Alan Hurwitz, his wife, Vicki, and a team of volunteers to build and renovate affordable housing in the Ivy City neighborhood near the Gallaudet campus. The volunteers included seven undergraduate students and several Master’s of Arts in Interpretation students. In heavy rain, they began to build six new houses and renovate six more.

Carter said at a news conference later in the day that “Gallaudet has been one of the finest supporters of Habitat that I have ever known, in many ways… This is not just a new thing for Gallaudet to be helpful to others.” Reaching out to families in the greater D.C. community, he said, “shows the broad expanse of [Gallaudet’s] generosity and benevolence to people in need.” 

Read about Carter’s 2010 visit to Gallaudet.