Today, our country will honor Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, who died at age 100. He had been in hospice care at his home since February 2023.
Over the course of his political career and retirement, Carter made frequent visits to Ohio, becoming a familiar face to many residents of the Buckeye State.
Campaign trail and presidential visit
Carter campaigned extensively in Ohio and visited Columbus as president in 1978 to dedicate Mount Vernon Plaza, an affordable housing complex in the King-Lincoln Bronzeville neighborhood.
During his speech, Carter praised the community’s efforts to revitalize the struggling area.
“You, the people of this area, decided to do something about it. Now you’ve got an area that’s safe, healthy, clean, beautiful, and it’s going to be even better in the future,” Carter said.
“Here in Mount Vernon Plaza and the area around, you’ve got more houses now, more places for people to live here now than you did before this great project started. This is the kind of cooperation that makes our country great.”
Legacy of service
In his later years, Carter became widely known for his work with Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building homes for those in need.
The MidOhio Habitat for Humanity chapter, launched in 1987, reports that it has served nearly 800 families since its inception.