Look up carter in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Carter is a surname, which originally meant a person who hauls goods in a cart.

It may refer to:

• Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States

For other people with this name, see Carter (name).

Carter may also refer to:

In fiction:

• Carter (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), cartoon character
• John Carter of Mars, protagonist of the Barsoom series by Edgar Rice Burroughs
• Doctor John Carter, character from the NBC drama ER
• Samantha Carter or Carter, main character in the TV series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis
• Carter Kane, character in The Kane Chronicles
• Zebadiah John Carter, a protagonist of The Number of the Beast by Robert A. Heinlein

In geography:

• Carter, South Dakota, United States
• Carter, Montana, United States
• Carter, Oklahoma, United States
• Carter, Forest County, Wisconsin, United States
• Carter, Iron County, Wisconsin, United States
• Carter, Wyoming, United States
• Carter County, Kentucky, United States
• Carter County, Missouri, United States
• Carter County, Montana, United States
• Carter County, Oklahoma, United States
• Carter County, Tennessee, United States

Other:

• Carting business, the horizontal transport of ore, coal, supplies, and waste, also called cartage
• Carter's, Inc., a clothing manufacturer of primarily baby and children's apparel
• Carter Machinery, a Virginia-based Caterpillar distributor and manufacturer of engine lubricants
• Carter's Foods, a defunct supermarket chain

See also:

• All pages with titles containing "Carter"

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Vince Carter

No. 25 – Dallas Mavericks
Shooting guard / Small forward
Personal information
Born	(1977-01-26) January 26, 1977 (age 35) Daytona Beach, Florida
Nationality	American
High school	Daytona Beach (FL) Mainland
Listed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
College	North Carolina (1995–1998)
NBA Draft	1998 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall
Selected by the Golden State Warriors
Pro career	1998–present
Career history
1999–2004	Toronto Raptors
2004–2009	New Jersey Nets
2009–2010	Orlando Magic
2010–2011	Phoenix Suns
2011–present	Dallas Mavericks
Career highlights and awards
NBA Rookie of the Year (1999) 8× NBA All-Star (2000–2007) All-NBA Second Team (2001) All-NBA Third Team (2000) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1999) NBA Slam Dunk Champion (2000) Consensus NCAA All-American Second Team (1998)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Vincent Lamar "Vince" Carter (born January 26, 1977) is an American professional basketball player with the Dallas Mavericks. He is a shooting guard who can also play small forward.

A high school McDonald's All-American, Carter played three years at the University of North Carolina, where he twice reached the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament before being selected as the fifth overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, who traded him to the Toronto Raptors. He won the 1999 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and won the Slam Dunk Contest at the 2000 NBA All-Star Game the following season. That summer, he represented the United States in the Summer Olympics, winning a gold medal.

He quickly emerged as a league star, entertaining crowds with his leaping ability and slam dunks,^[1] earning him nicknames such as "Vinsanity," "Air Canada," and "Half-Man, Half-Amazing."

He led the Raptors to their first three playoff appearances. In 2004, he was traded to the New Jersey Nets, and he helped lead them to three playoff berths. In July 2009, Carter was traded to the Orlando Magic, helping them to advance to the Eastern Conference finals before being traded to the Phoenix Suns in December, 2010.

An eight-time NBA All-Star, Carter joined NBA players Julius Erving and Michael Jordan as the only players to lead the NBA All-Star Game fan voting three or more times.^[2] Carter scored his 20,000th point in 2011,^[3] becoming the 37th player in league history to do so.

Off the court, Carter established his Embassy of Hope Foundation, assisting children and their families in Florida, New Jersey and Toronto. He was recognized in 2000 as Child Advocate of the Year by the Children's Home Society, and received the Florida Governor's Points of Light award in 2007 for his philanthropy in his home state.

High school and college[link]

Born in Daytona Beach, Florida, Carter was a 1995 McDonald's All-American at Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, leading Mainland to its first Class 6A state title in 56 years^[4] before spending three seasons playing college basketball at North Carolina under Dean Smith and later, Bill Guthridge. During the 1997–1998 season, he was a member of new coach Guthridge's "six starters" system that featured Antawn Jamison, Shammond Williams, Ed Cota, Ademola Okulaja, and Makhtar N'Diaye.^[5] During his sophomore and junior seasons, Carter helped North Carolina to consecutive ACC Men's Basketball Tournament titles and Final Four appearances. He finished the 1997–98 season with s 15.6-points-per-game average and was named second-team All-American. In May 1998, Carter declared for the 1998 NBA Draft, following his classmate Jamison, who had declared earlier that spring.^[6]

On January 31, 2012, Carter was honored as one of the 35 greatest McDonald's All-Americans,^[7][8] and on February 23, 2012, President Obama, an avid NCAA and NBA basketball fan, gave praise to Carter at a fundraiser event, referring to Carter's game as a "huge treat for me ever since he’s been playing for the Tar Heels."^[9][10]

NBA career[link]

Toronto Raptors (1998–2004)[link]

Carter as a Raptor.

The Raptors struggled in their early years as did their expansion cousins, the Vancouver Grizzlies. After the acquisition of Carter through a draft day trade in 1998 however, the team set league attendance records in 2000, 2001, and 2002 and the value of the Raptors franchise doubled during Carter's tenure as Raptor.^[11] Carter was instrumental in leading the Raptors to the playoffs in 2000 for the first time in franchise history. He also led them to a franchise high of 47 wins and their first ever playoff series win in 2001, advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Carter was initially drafted by the NBA's Golden State Warriors with the fifth overall pick, and then traded to the Toronto Raptors for the fourth overall pick, Antawn Jamison, his college teammate and good friend.^[12] Carter's rookie season was the shortened 50-game 1999 season, after the NBA locked out its players in 1998–99. Carter started almost every game for coach Butch Carter, averaged 18.3 points per game (ppg), and eventually won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.^[13] The next year, Carter was selected to an All-Star Team for the first time, averaged 25.7 ppg, made the Third Team All-NBA, and showcased his athleticism and dunking abilities in the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. He won the contest by performing an array of dunks including a 360° windmill, a between the legs bounce dunk, and an "elbow in the rim" dunk (also known as a "cookie jar" dunk or the "honey dip").^[12] ESPN referred to the 2000 slam dunk contest as, "one of the most memorable contests in the entire run." Kobe Bryant, who was invited along with Vince Carter, Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, and Julius Erving as judges for the 2007 slam dunk contest, said that among the judges in their prime, Carter would win in a dunk contest.^[14]

In Carter's first two seasons, he and his distant cousin Tracy McGrady formed a formidable one-two punch as Raptor teammates. The two led the Raptors to their first playoff berth in the 2000 NBA Playoffs, but they were swept in the first round by the New York Knicks, in 3 games. Upon McGrady's departure to the Orlando Magic as a free agent in a sign and trade deal, Carter became the Raptors' franchise player. L.A. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, whose team won several championships in the decade to follow, believed they could've competed for several championships if they had stayed together.^[15]

In 2000–01, his third season, Carter averaged a career-high 27.6 ppg, made the Second Team All-NBA, and was voted in as a starter in the 2001 NBA All-Star Game, while the Raptors finished the regular season with a franchise-record 47 wins. In the playoffs, the Raptors beat the New York Knicks 3–2 in the first round, and advanced to the 2001 Eastern Conference Semifinals to face off against the Philadelphia 76ers. Carter and Allen Iverson played in a seven-game series that see-sawed back and forth. Carter scored 50 points on Philly in game three and set a NBA playoff record for most three-point field goals made in one game. On the morning of Game Seven, Carter attended his graduation at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He had completed the requirements for his degree in African-American Studies the previous summer and said he felt receiving his diploma was personally significant.^[16] Television ratings for game seven soared as one of the highest watched in NBC's history for a non-finals game. As the Sixers and Raptors increased their double team pressures on Carter and Iverson respectively,^[17][18] the game winning shot came down to Carter who missed with 2.0 seconds remaining.^[19] Afterwards, he was heavily criticized for his decision to attend his graduation by both media and fans. In July 2011, Iverson reflected back on the series. “It was incredible. (Carter) had great games at home and I had some great games at home, but both of us were just trying to put our teams on our back and win basketball games. It is great just having those memories and being a part of something like that.”^[20]

In the summer of 2001, Carter signed a $94 million, six-year extension with the Raptors.^[21] In addition, Carter announced that he would be hosting a charity basketball game featuring fellow NBA stars that would be played at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on August 3, 2001. The success of the first game being sold out encouraged Carter to make the charity game an annual summer event.

The next season was an injury-riddled one for Carter. He started in 60 games and he averaged 24.7 ppg. He was voted into the 2002 NBA All-Star Game, but he could not participate due to injury. The Raptors did not fare well without their All-Star player. The team lost 17 of 18 games to drop to 30–38, then won 12 of their last 14 to finish at 42–40. Carter was injured during the 2002 NBA Playoffs, and his team was defeated in the first round by the Detroit Pistons, in 5 games. During the 2003 NBA All-Star Game, Carter gave up his starting All-Star spot to the Washington Wizards' Michael Jordan to allow Jordan to make his final start as an All-Star.^[22] During his Raptors tenure, news came out and revealed that Carter had developed Sinding-Larsen-Johansson disease also known as "jumper's knee," which drew criticism and questions from local media outlets and fans about Carter's long term durability as a NBA scorer.^[23][24]

After 50 games in the 2003-2004 season, Toronto was 25–25 and in a position to make the playoffs, but injuries to Jalen Rose, Alvin Williams, and Carter sent the Raptors plummeting down the standings and the Raptors fell 3 games short of making the playoffs. Carter's individual season performances was 22.5 ppg but team-mate Alvin Williams's knee injury unfortunately turned out to be career ending.

Trade to the Nets[link]

In the 2004 off-season, G.M. Glen Grunwald and the entire coaching staff were fired after falling three games short of the eighth and final playoff spot in the previous season. Carter became frustrated with the Raptors' upper management. In particular, Carter was unhappy with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and Raptors president Richard Peddie.^{[25][26][27][28]} In a private meeting, Peddie reassured Carter that MLSE was serious in building a contender in Toronto and that he would pursue established players like point guard Steve Nash and centre Jamaal Magloire. Carter was also given the impression that Peddie would consider Julius Erving as a serious candidate for G.M., thinking he could attract star players to Toronto. Though Julius Erving flew into Toronto for an interview, interim G.M. McCloskey publicly disclosed a week prior that Erving was not really in the mix.^[26][27] Richard Peddie instead hired Rob Babcock whose first priority in rebuilding the Raptors said was to "establish our philosophy," stating “we are not really worried about how many wins we get right away, or whether we make the playoffs within the first year or two."^[29] After hiring Sam Mitchell as new head coach,^[30] Babcock's first move was to select Rafael Araujo with the eighth overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft to fill in the centre position. He later signed guard Rafer Alston to a 5 year deal.

Consequently, much speculation arose whether Carter wanted to be traded. The Toronto Sun reported that Carter felt misled and felt the Raptors would never be an elite team under the current MLSE structure with Richard Peddie as Raptors president.^[31] Some NBA fans raised money to fly a “Keep Vince, Trade Peddie” banner over the Air Canada Centre just before Carter's annual charity game.^[32] When Rob Babcock was questioned about the trade speculations, he denied Carter asked for a trade but indiscreetly revealed Carter's agent had approached him for a trade request.^[33][34] During the 2004–05 season, new head coach Sam Mitchell often benched Carter in the 4th quarter to emphasize the new team philosophy him and Babcock wanted players to adapt to, spurring rumors of fights between Carter and Mitchell and new point guard Rafer Alston.^{[35][36][37][38]} On reduced playing time, Carter posted 15.9 ppg as a Raptor before his eventual trade.^[39]

On December 17, 2004, new Raptors General Manager Rob Babcock traded Carter to the New Jersey Nets for Alonzo Mourning, Eric Williams, Aaron Williams and two future first-round draft picks. Carter in his first game back to Toronto in 2004-2005 season was heavily booed and jeered by Raptors fans; some fans were found burning Vince Carter jerseys, while many donned No. 15 baby bibs, 'FUVC' t-shirts, and other merchandise that labelled Carter as "Wince" or as "immature," alluding to Carter's knee and ankle injuries and his dissent.^[40] Much like former Raptors teammate Tracy McGrady, Carter has been booed each time he has returned to Toronto.^[41] In early January 2005, when asked by TNT's John Thompson if he always pushed himself as hard as he should, Carter replied, "In years past, no. I was just fortunate to have the talent in being able to... you know, you get spoiled when you're able to do a lot of things and you see that, and you really don't have to work at it. But now, with all the injuries and all the things that have gone on, I have to work a little harder and I'm a little hungrier. That's why getting the opportunity to have a fresh start with New Jersey has made me want to attack the basket for a lot reasons."^[42] Though Carter's comments were perceived by Raptors fans as his confession of quitting on the Raptors^[43] Thompson said the comments were misinterpreted, saying, "That boy never said to me, 'Coach, I just laid down and quit.' ...I was embarrassed and felt awful about it for his sake, because I knew what he was communicating to me... he was more expressing a desire of wanting to do better, as we all do."^[44] Despite Thompson's defense of Carter, the Toronto Star's Dave Feschuk in 2007 wrote that Carter "cheated on (the Raptors). He quit on the floor."^[45] Carter later stated his comments were misconstrued. On the eve of the Raptors and Nets' playoff series in 2007, Carter told New York's WFAN radio station, "One day, maybe the fans will understand how it all went down. That's all I can say."^[45]

In November 2011, nearly seven years since the trade to the Nets, Carter, along with his cousin Tracy McGrady and Charles Oakley addressed the Toronto audience in an interview when asked about being booed in Toronto. "They watched myself and Tracy grow up. And when we left they still got to see (us) flourish and become (who we are). For me, I looked at it as, a young child growing up into a grown man and moving on. And I get it. Leaving, hurt a lot of people. It hurt me because I tell you what... I accomplished a lot, I learned a lot, I became the person and player of who I am today because of that experience, through the coaches, players, and everything else. I get it... but regardless I still love the city. I have friends there and my heart is still there because that's where it all started." Later in the interview, when asked about any words to the Toronto fans, Carter said, "I appreciate the fans and whether you cheer for me, boo me, or hate me, I still love you. Toronto's one of the best kept secrets.. puts one of the best products on the floor and one of the top places to play in."^{[46][47][48][49]}

New Jersey Nets (2004–2009)[link]

As a Net, Carter produced some of his highest numbers. He scored more than 23.5 ppg and attained career high averages in rebounds per game (5.8) and assists per game (4.7) while missing just 11 games in his four full seasons as a Net. Carter helped lead the New Jersey Nets to three playoff runs and is currently in the top 10 of nineteen different all-time Nets statistical categories, including points, points per game (1st all-time of NBA Nets), defensive rebounds, assists, turnover rate, 3-point field goals, offensive rating, player efficiency rating, and win shares.

Carter during his tenure with the Nets.

The 2004–05 season looked gloomy at first for the Nets. Their star Kidd was recovering from his own microfracture surgery and the team got off to a 2–11 start, and even with Jason Kidd returning from injury, the outlook was bleak with Jefferson requiring season ending surgery. However, after the trade, Carter rallied the Nets from more than 10 games out of the playoffs to gain the final seed in the Eastern Conference.

In the 2005–06 NBA season, the Carter-Kidd duo co-lead the Nets to 49 wins, an Atlantic Division title, and the number three seed in the playoffs, while averaging 24.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. He led the Nets to the second round of the playoffs before losing to the eventual NBA champions Miami Heat in five games. Carter averaged 29.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 11 playoff games. Carter was also named to the All-Star Team in 2006.

In the 2006–07 NBA season Carter was named, along with teammate Jason Kidd, as a reserve to the 2007 NBA All-Star Game, after losing out on a starting spot to Gilbert Arenas by 3,010 votes.^[50] Both Carter and Kidd made their eighth All-Star game appearance.^[51]

In a 120–114 overtime win over the Washington Wizards, April 7, 2007, Carter and Jason Kidd became the first teammates in over 18 years to record triple-doubles in the same game since the Chicago Bulls' Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen achieved this feat against the Los Angeles Clippers in 1989. Carter finished with 46 points, a career-high 16 rebounds, and 10 assists. Kidd finished with 10 points, tied a career-high with 16 rebounds, and tied a season-high with 18 assists. Carter's triple double is the second highest total for a triple double, second only to Alvan Adams of the Phoenix Suns who tallied 47 points and 18 rebounds and 12 assists over 30 years ago.^[52]

Carter's finished the 2006–07 NBA season playing all 82 games, scoring over 24 points with a 21 PER.^[53]

Carter and Yi Jianlian in 2009.

After the Nets eliminated the Raptors, the Nets were eliminated from the playoffs by Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers (lost series 4–2). During the season, the New York Knicks and Nets had discussed a trade in February around Carter, which was ended with the trading deadline. Shaquille O'Neal when asked which player he would want to play after playing with Kobe and Wade replied, "I'm gonna have to go with Vince Carter. I think he needs a player like me that can get him to the next level. And I can get him to the next level." Barkley responded by accusing O'Neil of tampering. In the off-season, the two teams again revisited the subject but on July 1, 2007 Carter signed a 4-year, $61.8 million contract with the Nets.^[54]

For the 2007–08 season, Jason Kidd was traded mid season and Magic Johnson claimed that Carter's game was on the decline due to his bad knees.^[55] In a 2008 ESPN special later that year, Carter was named behind Dominique Wilkins, Julius Erving, and Michael Jordan as being one of the 'greatest dunkers of all time.' In it, Reggie Miller noted "Carter is probably the greatest dunker in the NBA I have ever seen." ESPN's Chris Broussard did a follow up piece in 2011 and called Vince Carter as the greatest in-game dunker of all time in the NBA.

Carter ended up finishing strong in 2008 with a season average of at least 21 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists a game, a season accomplishment unique to him, Kobe Bryant, and Lebron James^[56] He also led the Nets in freethrow percentage, assists and steals per game (81.6%, 5.1, 1.2).^[57] Rod Thorn credited Carter for becoming a leader since the All-Star break.^[58]

For the 2008–09 season, the Nets decided to rebuild and Carter was voted team captain to help mentor the young players.^[59] Coach Lawrence Frank commented that Carter had "served the term 'captain' very honorably. Coming with a team that has veterans from other teams, some young guys coming straight from school, a couple of 20-year-olds and one 21-year-old. Showing them how you handle every day and the professionalism you approach your job [with], his disposition, his character. Plus, he's played at a very high level. He's accepted different roles on the team, at different times, to let other guys thrive and play at a high level, and yet has shown that he still is one of the elite players in the league." Two such players Carter helped mentor were Devin Harris and Brook Lopez. Brook Lopez finished 3rd in Rookie of the Year and Devin Harris made his 1st All-Star team and narrowly missed winning the NBA Most Improved Player award. Carter finished his last season as a Net scoring around the 20 points-five boards-five assists per game mark which were only shared among five other players: LeBron James, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Stephen Jackson, and Kobe Bryant.

Orlando Magic (2009–2010)[link]

Carter being defended by Richard Jefferson.

On June 25, 2009, the day of the NBA Draft, Carter was traded to his hometown-team, the Orlando Magic with Ryan Anderson for Rafer Alston, Tony Battie and Courtney Lee; the Magic were searching for a go-to scorer who could take pressure off Dwight Howard.^[60] The Nets without Carter ended up going 12-70.^[61]

Carter made his season debut with the Magic on October 28, 2009 against the Philadelphia 76ers at home, recording 15 points and 2 assists to help the Magic defeat the Sixers.^[62] On February 8, 2010, Carter scored a season-high 48 points in a 123-117 win against the New Orleans Hornets, including 34 points in the second half to help rally the Magic back from a 17-point deficit.^[63]

Carter helped lead the Magic to the 2010 NBA Playoffs, sweeping the Charlotte Bobcats and the Atlanta Hawks in the first two rounds, before falling to the Boston Celtics in Eastern Conference Finals in 6 games. This marked the first time Carter made it to the Conference Finals.^[64]

Phoenix Suns (2010–2011)[link]

Carter during his tenure with the Suns.

On December 18, 2010, Carter was traded to the Phoenix Suns along with Marcin Gortat, Mickael Pietrus, a 2011 first-round draft pick, and $3 million, for Hedo Türkoğlu, Jason Richardson, and Earl Clark.^[65] When asked how he felt about being traded from Orlando, Carter replied, "They gave me an opportunity to play at home and they felt it was time to go in a different direction. You can't be mad about that. They've given me an opportunity to play somewhere else and still chase that dream.^[66]

On January 16, 2011, Carter scored his 20,000th point, becoming only the 37th NBA player to reach that plateau.^[67] Although the back-court pairing of Carter and Steve Nash was successful together, the Suns ultimately missed the playoffs as they were in midst of a rebuilding phase.

On December 9, 2011, Carter was waived by the Suns in the final year of his contract. Of the $18 million he was scheduled to make in the upcoming season, only $4 million of it was guaranteed.^[68]

Dallas Mavericks (2011–)[link]

On December 12, 2011, Carter agreed to sign with the defending-champion Dallas Mavericks for a 3 year deal (two of which are not guaranteed),^[69] to reunite with former New Jersey teammate Jason Kidd.

2000 Summer Olympics[link]

Medal record
Men’s basketball
Competitor for  United States
Olympic Games
Gold	2000 Sydney	Team competition
FIBA Americas Championship
Gold	2003 San Juan	Team competition

During the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Carter performed a memorable dunk when he jumped over 7-foot-2 (2.18 m) French center Frédéric Weis. Teammate Jason Kidd said it was "One of the best plays I've ever seen." The French media later dubbed it "le dunk de la mort" ("the Dunk of Death").^[70] The U.S. team went on to win the gold medal that year.

Awards and achievements[link]

• 8× NBA All-Star selection: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 (did not play in 2002 due to injury)
• Olympic gold medal: 2000
• 2× All-NBA:
  • Second Team: 2001
  • Third Team: 2000
• NBA Slam Dunk Champion: 2000
• NBA All-Rookie First Team: 1999
• NBA Rookie of the Year Award: 1999
• The Sporting News NBA Rookie of the Year: 1999^[71]

NBA playoff records

• Co-holds NBA playoff record for most three-point field goals made in one game: 9 (May 11, 2001 vs. Philadelphia 76ers, Eastern Conference Semifinals)
• Most three-point field goals made in one half: 8 (same game as above)
• Most consecutive three-point field goals made in one game: 8 (same game as above)
• Most consecutive three-point field goals made in one half: 8 (same game as above)^[72]

New Jersey Nets franchise records

• Most three-point field goals made in one game: 9 (December 11, 2006 vs. Memphis Grizzlies)
• Most points scored in one season: 2,070 (2006–07)
• Most consecutive 20 or more point games: 23 (2005–06)
• He is the first Net to score at least 2,000 points in a single season. (2006–07)^[73]

Career highs

• Points: 51 (2 times)
• Field goals made: 20 vs. Milwaukee 01/14/00
• Field goals attempted: 36 at Philadelphia 01/21/01
• Three point field goals made: 9 vs. Memphis 12/11/06
• Three point field goals attempted: 20 vs. Memphis 12/11/06
• Free throws made: 23 at Miami 12/23/05
• Free throws attempted: 27 at Phoenix 12/30/00
• Offensive rebounds: 8 vs. Chicago 11/05/05
• Defensive rebounds: 13 (2 times)
• Total rebounds: 16 vs. Washington 04/07/07
• Assists: 14 at Milwaukee 01/09/09
• Steals: 6 (3 times)
• Blocks: 6 vs. Chicago 03/28/99
• Minutes played: 63 vs. Sacramento 02/23/01^[39]

Video game, TV and film appearances[link]

• Appeared on the cover of NBA Live 2004.^[74]
• Appeared on the cover of NBA Inside Drive 2002.^[75]
• Appeared in the 2002 film Like Mike, where the fictional Los Angeles Knights had to beat Carter and the Toronto Raptors in order to gain the 8th seed in the playoffs.
• Appeared in Fabolous' 2002 music video for "This Is My Party", and Glenn Lewis' 2003 music video for "Back for More".

Personal life[link]

Carter has donated to his high school, Mainland, as well as the foundation he established upon being drafted into the NBA in 1998, The Embassy of Hope.^[76] On February 3, 2007, a statue of Carter was unveiled at the Mainland.^[77]

Carter visited with the Duquesne University basketball team in Pittsburgh as a show of support after its shooting incident in September 2006.^[78]

He is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

Carter married Ellen Rucker, a doctor of chiropractic medicine, in July 2004; the couple divorced in 2006. They have one daughter, Kai Michelle Carter.^[79] born on June 1, 2005.^{[citation needed]}

While with the Nets, Carter lived in Saddle River, New Jersey on the same street as Jason Kidd, and the two played ping pong and went bowling together.^[80]

In January 2010, he opened a restaurant, Vince Carter's, in Daytona, Florida.^[81]

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

See also[link]

• List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career 3-point scoring leaders
• List of National Basketball Association players with 50 or more points in a playoff game

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website
• Vince Carter at NBA.com
• U.S. Olympic Team bio
• Vince Carter Sanctuary

Jimmy Carter
39th President of the United States
In office January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981
Vice President	Walter Mondale
Preceded by	Gerald Ford
Succeeded by	Ronald Reagan
76th Governor of Georgia
In office January 12, 1971 – January 14, 1975
Lieutenant	Lester Maddox
Preceded by	Lester Maddox
Succeeded by	George Busbee
Georgia State Senator from the 14th District
In office January 14, 1963 – January 10, 1967
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Hugh Carter
Constituency	Sumter County
Personal details
Born	James Earl Carter, Jr. (1924-10-01) October 1, 1924 (age 87) Plains, Georgia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Rosalynn Smith (1946–present)
Children	Jack James Donnel Amy
Alma mater	Georgia Southwestern State Georgia Tech U.S.N.A. (B.S.)
Profession	Farmer Naval Officer
Religion	Baptist[1]
Signature
Military service
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1946–1953
Rank	Lieutenant
Awards	Nobel Peace Prize Grand-croix de l'Ordre de la Couronne

James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States (1977–1981) and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office. Before he became President, Carter served as a U.S. Naval officer, was a peanut farmer, served two terms as a Georgia State Senator and one as Governor of Georgia (1971–1975).^[2]

During Carter's term as President, two new cabinet-level departments were created: the Department of Energy and the Department of Education. He established a national energy policy that included conservation, price control, and new technology. In foreign affairs, Carter pursued the Camp David Accords, the Panama Canal Treaties, the second round of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT II), and returned the Panama Canal Zone to Panama. Throughout his career, Carter strongly emphasized human rights. He took office during a period of international stagflation, which persisted throughout his term. The end of his presidential tenure was marked by the 1979–1981 Iran hostage crisis, the 1979 energy crisis, the Three Mile Island nuclear accident, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (at the end of 1979), 1980 Summer Olympics boycott by the United States of the Moscow Olympics and the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.

By 1980, Carter's popularity had eroded. He survived a primary challenge against Ted Kennedy for the Democratic Party nomination in the 1980 election, but lost the election to Republican candidate Ronald Reagan. On January 20, 1981, minutes after Carter's term in office ended, the 52 U.S. captives held at the U.S. embassy in Iran were released, ending the 444-day Iran hostage crisis.^[3]

After leaving office, Carter and his wife Rosalynn founded the Carter Center in 1982,^[4] a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization that works to advance human rights. He has traveled extensively to conduct peace negotiations, observe elections, and advance disease prevention and eradication in developing nations. Carter is a key figure in the Habitat for Humanity project,^[5] and also remains particularly vocal on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In March 2012, two months before President Barack Obama's declaration of support for same-sex marriage, Carter said he favors allowing same-sex couples to legally marry.^[6]

Early life[link]

Jimmy Carter (around age 13) his dog, Bozo, in 1937.

James Earl Carter, Jr., was born at the Wise Sanitarium^[7] on October 1, 1924, in the tiny southwest Georgia city of Plains, near Americus. The first president born in a hospital,^[8] he is the eldest of four children of James Earl Carter and Bessie Lillian Gordy. Carter's father was a prominent business owner in the community and his mother was a registered nurse.

Carter is descended from immigrants from southern England (his paternal ancestor arrived in the American Colonies in 1635),^[9] and his family has lived in the state of Georgia for several generations. Carter has documented ancestors who fought in the American Revolution, and he is a member of the Sons of the American Revolution.^[10] Carter's great-grandfather, Private L.B. Walker Carter (1832–1874), served in the Confederate States Army.^[11]

Carter was a gifted student from an early age who always had a fondness for reading. By the time he attended Plains High School, he was also a star in basketball. He was greatly influenced by one of his high school teachers, Julia Coleman (1889–1973). While he was in high school he was in the Future Farmers of America, which later changed its name to the National FFA Organization, serving as the Plains FFA Chapter Secretary.^[12]

Carter had three younger siblings: sisters Gloria Carter Spann (1926–1990) and Ruth Carter Stapleton (1929–1983), and brother William Alton "Billy" Carter (1937–1988). During Carter's Presidency, Billy was often in the news, usually in an unflattering light.^[13]

He married Rosalynn Smith in 1946; they have four children.

He is a first cousin of politician Hugh Carter and a half-second cousin of Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. on his mother's side, and a cousin of June Carter Cash.^[14]

Naval career[link]

After high school, Carter enrolled at Georgia Southwestern College, in Americus. Later, he applied to the United States Naval Academy and, after taking additional mathematics courses at Georgia Tech, he was admitted in 1943. Carter graduated 59th out of 820 midshipmen at the Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree with an unspecified major, as was the custom at the academy at that time.^[15]

Carter served on surface ships and on diesel-electric submarines in the Atlantic and Pacific fleets. As a junior officer, he completed qualification for command of a diesel-electric submarine. He applied for the US Navy's fledgling nuclear submarine program run by then Captain Hyman G. Rickover. Rickover's demands on his men and machines were legendary, and Carter later said that, next to his parents, Rickover had the greatest influence on him. Carter has said that he loved the Navy, and had planned to make it his career. His ultimate goal was to become Chief of Naval Operations. Carter felt the best route for promotion was with submarine duty since he felt that nuclear power would be increasingly used in submarines. Carter was based in Schenectady, New York, and working on developing training materials for the nuclear propulsion system for the prototype of a new submarine.^[16]

On December 12, 1952, an accident with the experimental NRX reactor at Atomic Energy of Canada's Chalk River Laboratories caused a partial meltdown. The resulting explosion caused millions of liters of radioactive water to flood the reactor building's basement, and the reactor's core was no longer usable.^[17] Carter was now ordered to Chalk River, joining other American and Canadian service personnel. He was the officer in charge of the U.S. team assisting in the shutdown of the Chalk River Nuclear Reactor.^[18]

Once they arrived, Carter's team used a model of the reactor to practice the steps necessary to disassemble the reactor and seal it off. During execution of the actual disassembly each team member, including Carter, donned protective gear, was lowered individually into the reactor, stayed for only a few seconds at a time to minimize exposure to radiation, and used hand tools to loosen bolts, remove nuts and take the other steps necessary to complete the disassembly process.

During and after his presidency Carter indicated that his experience at Chalk River shaped his views on nuclear power and nuclear weapons, including his decision not to pursue completion of the neutron bomb.^[19]

Upon the death of his father James Earl Carter, Sr., in July 1953, he was urgently needed to run the family business. Lieutenant Carter resigned his commission, and he was discharged from the Navy on October 9, 1953.

Farming and personal belief[link]

Though Carter's father, Earl, died a relatively wealthy man, between Earl's forgiveness of debts owed to him and the division of his wealth among his heirs, Jimmy Carter inherited comparatively little. For a year, due to a limited real estate market, the Carters lived in public housing (Carter is the only U.S. president to have lived in housing subsidized for the poor).^[20]

Knowledgeable in scientific and technological subjects and raised on a farm, Carter took over the family peanut farm. Carter took to the county library to read up on agriculture while Rosalynn learned accounting to manage the businesses financials.^[20] Though they barely broke even the first year, Carter managed to expand in Plains. His farming business was successful, and during the 1970 gubernatorial campaign, he was considered a wealthy peanut farmer.^[21]

From a young age, Carter showed a deep commitment to Christianity, serving as a Sunday School teacher throughout his life. Even as President, Carter prayed several times a day, and professed that Jesus Christ was the driving force in his life. Carter had been greatly influenced by a sermon he had heard as a young man, called, "If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?"^[22]

Early political career[link]

Georgia State Senate[link]

Jimmy Carter started his career by serving on various local boards, governing such entities as the schools, hospitals, and libraries, among others. In the 1960s, he served two terms in the Georgia Senate from the fourteenth district of Georgia.

His 1961 election to the state Senate, which followed the end of Georgia's County Unit System (per the Supreme Court case of Gray v. Sanders), was chronicled in his book Turning Point: A Candidate, a State, and a Nation Come of Age. The election involved corruption led by Joe Hurst, the sheriff of Quitman County; system abuses included votes from deceased persons and tallies filled with people who supposedly voted in alphabetical order. It took a challenge of the fraudulent results for Carter to win the election. Carter was reelected in 1964, to serve a second two-year term.

For a time in State Senate he chaired its Education Committee.^[23]

In 1966, Carter declined running for re-election as a state senator to pursue a gubernatorial run. His first cousin, Hugh Carter, was elected as a Democrat and took over his seat in the Senate.

Campaigns for Governor[link]

In 1966, during the end of his career as a state senator, he flirted with the idea of running for the United States House of Representatives. His Republican opponent, Howard Callaway, dropped out and decided to run for Governor of Georgia. Carter did not want to see a Republican Governor of his state, and, in turn, dropped out of the race for Congress and joined the race to become Governor. Carter lost the Democratic primary, but drew enough votes as a third-place candidate to force the favorite, liberal former governor Ellis Arnall, into a runoff election, setting off a chain of events which resulted in the nomination of segregationist Democrat Lester Maddox. Maddox would go on to be selected governor of Georgia by the Georgia General Assembly despite finishing a close second in a three-way general election race between Maddox, Callaway, and Arnall, who ran as a Write-in candidate. During the primary Carter ran as a moderate alternative to both liberal Arnall and conservative Maddox.^[23] Although he lost, his strong third place finish was viewed as a success for a little-known state senator.^[23]

For the next four years, Carter returned to his agriculture business and carefully planned for his next campaign for Governor in 1970, making over 1,800 speeches throughout the state.^{[citation needed]}

During his 1970 campaign, he ran an uphill populist campaign in the Democratic primary against former Governor Carl Sanders, labeling his opponent "Cufflinks Carl". Carter was never a segregationist, and refused to join the segregationist White Citizens' Council, prompting a boycott of his peanut warehouse. His family was also one of only two that voted to admit blacks to the Plains Baptist Church.^[24]

"Carter himself was not a segregationist in 1970. But he did say things that the segregationists wanted to hear. He was opposed to busing. He was in favor of private schools. He said that he would invite segregationist governor George Wallace to come to Georgia to give a speech.", according to historian E. Stanly Godbold.^{[citation needed]}

Carter's campaign aides handed out a photograph of Sanders celebrating with black basketball players.^[25][26] Following his close victory over Sanders in the primary, he was elected Governor over Republican Hal Suit.

After his election, Carter would make a statement that would displease the segregationists: "I say to you quite frankly, that the time for racial discrimination is over. No poor, rural, weak, or black person should ever have to bear the additional burden of being deprived of the opportunity of an education, a job, or simple justice."^{[citation needed]}

Leroy Johnson, Georgia State Senator reflected: "We were extremely pleased. Many of the white segregationists were displeased. And I'm convinced that those people that supported him, would not have supported him if they had thought that he would have made that statement."^[27]

Governor of Georgia[link]

Carter was sworn in as the 76th Governor of Georgia on January 12, 1971, and held this post for one term, until January 14, 1975. Governors of Georgia were not allowed to succeed themselves at the time. His predecessor as Governor, Lester Maddox, became the Lieutenant Governor. Carter and Maddox found little common ground during their four years of service, often publicly feuding with each other.^[28][29]

Civil rights politics[link]

Carter declared in his inaugural speech that the time of racial segregation was over, and that racial discrimination had no place in the future of the state, the first statewide office holder in the Deep South to say this in public.^[30] Afterwards, Carter appointed many African Americans to statewide boards and offices. He was often called one of the "New Southern Governors" – much more moderate than their predecessors, and supportive of racial desegregation and expanding African-Americans' rights.^{[citation needed]}

Abortion[link]

Although "personally opposed" to abortion, after the landmark US Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, 410 US 113 (1973) Carter supported legalized abortion.^[31] He did not support increased federal funding for abortion services as president and was criticized by the American Civil Liberties Union for not doing enough to find alternatives.^[32] In March 2012, during an interview on The Laura Ingraham Show, Carter expressed his view that the Democratic Party should be more pro-life. He explained how difficult it was for him, given his strong Christian beliefs, to uphold Roe v. Wade while he was president.^[33]

State government reforms[link]

Carter improved government efficiency by merging about 300 state agencies into 30 agencies. One of his aides recalled that Governor Carter "was right there with us, working just as hard, digging just as deep into every little problem. It was his program and he worked on it as hard as anybody, and the final product was distinctly his." He also pushed reforms through the legislature, providing equal state aid to schools in the wealthy and poor areas of Georgia, set up community centers for mentally handicapped children, and increased educational programs for convicts. Carter took pride in a program he introduced for the appointment of judges and state government officials. Under this program, all such appointments were based on merit, rather than political influence.^[34][35]

Vice-Presidential aspirations in 1972[link]

In 1972, as US Senator George McGovern of South Dakota was marching toward the Democratic nomination for President, Carter called a news conference in Atlanta to warn that McGovern was unelectable. Carter criticized McGovern as too liberal on both foreign and domestic policy, yet when McGovern's nomination became a foregone conclusion, Carter lobbied to become his vice-presidential running mate.

During the 1972 Democratic National Convention he endorsed the candidacy of Senator Henry M. Jackson of Washington.^[36] Carter received 30 votes at the Democratic National Convention in the chaotic ballot for Vice President.^{[citation needed]} McGovern offered the second spot to Reubin Askew, from next door Florida and one of the "new southern governors", but he declined.^{[citation needed]}

Death penalty and crime[link]

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Georgia's death penalty law in 1972, Carter quickly proposed state legislation to replace the death penalty with life in prison (an option that previously did not exist).^[37]

When the Georgia legislature passed a new death penalty statute, Carter, despite voicing reservations about its constitutionality,^[38] signed new legislation on March 28, 1973^[39] to authorize the death penalty for murder, rape and other offenses, and to implement trial procedures that conformed to the newly announced constitutional requirements. In 1976, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Georgia's new death penalty for murder. In the case of Coker v. Georgia, the Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty was unconstitutional as applied to rape.

Many in America were outraged by William Calley's life sentence at Fort Benning for his role in the My Lai Massacre; Carter instituted "American Fighting Man's Day" and asked Georgians to drive for a week with their lights on in support of Calley.^[40] Indiana's governor asked all state flags to be flown at half-staff for Calley, and Utah's and Mississippi's governors also disagreed with the verdict.^[40]

Despite his earlier support, Carter soon became a death penalty opponent, and during Presidential campaigns (like previous nominee George McGovern and two successive nominees, Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis), this was noted.^[41] Carter is known for his outspoken opposition to the death penalty in all forms; in his Nobel Prize lecture, he urged "prohibition of the death penalty".^[42]

United States Senate appointment[link]

Richard Russell, Jr., then-President pro tempore of the United States Senate, died in office on January 21, 1971. Carter, only nine days into his governorship, appointed state Democratic Party chair David H. Gambrell to fill an unexpired Russell term in the Senate on February 1.^[43] Gambrell was defeated in the next Democratic primary by the more conservative Sam Nunn.

Other activities[link]

In 1973, while Governor of Georgia, Carter filed a report on his 1969 UFO sighting with the International UFO Bureau in Oklahoma City.^[44][45][46] In 2007, Carter stated that he did not remember why he filed the report and that he believes he probably only did it at the request of one of his children. He also stated he does not believe it was an alien spacecraft, but rather that it was likely some sort of military experiment being conducted from a nearby military base.^[47]

Carter made an appearance as the first guest of the evening on an episode of the game show What's My Line in 1974, signing in as "X", lest his name give away his occupation. After his job was identified on question seven of ten by Gene Shalit, he talked about having brought movie production to the state of Georgia, citing Deliverance, and the then-unreleased The Longest Yard.

In 1974, Carter was chairman of the Democratic National Committee's congressional, as well as gubernatorial, campaigns.

1976 presidential campaign[link]

The electoral map of the 1976 election

When Carter entered the Democratic Party presidential primaries in 1976, he was considered to have little chance against nationally better-known politicians. He had a name recognition of only two percent. When he told his family of his intention to run for President, his mother asked, "President of what?" The Watergate scandal was still fresh in the voters' minds, and so his position as an outsider, distant from Washington, D.C., became an asset. The centerpiece of his campaign platform was government reorganization. Carter published Why Not the Best? in June 1976 to help introduce himself to the American public.^[48]

Carter and President Gerald Ford debating at the Walnut Street Theater in Philadelphia.

Carter became the front-runner early on by winning the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. He used a two-prong strategy: In the South, which most had tacitly conceded to Alabama's George Wallace, Carter ran as a moderate favorite son. When Wallace proved to be a spent force, Carter swept the region. In the North, Carter appealed largely to conservative Christian and rural voters and had little chance of winning a majority in most states. He won several Northern states by building the largest single bloc. Carter's strategy involved reaching a region before another candidate could extend influence there. He traveled over 50,000 miles, visited 37 states, and delivered over 200 speeches before any other candidates even announced that they were in the race.^[49] Initially dismissed as a regional candidate, Carter proved to be the only Democrat with a truly national strategy, and he eventually clinched the nomination.

The national news media discovered and promoted Carter, as Lawrence Shoup noted in his 1980 book The Carter Presidency and Beyond:

What Carter had that his opponents did not was the acceptance and support of elite sectors of the mass communications media. It was their favorable coverage of Carter and his campaign that gave him an edge, propelling him rocket-like to the top of the opinion polls. This helped Carter win key primary election victories, enabling him to rise from an obscure public figure to President-elect in the short space of 9 months.

Carter was interviewed by Robert Scheer of Playboy for its November 1976 issue, which hit the newsstands a couple of weeks before the election. It was here that in the course of a digression on his religion's view of pride, Carter admitted: "I've looked on a lot of women with lust. I've committed adultery in my heart many times."^[50] He remains the only American president to be interviewed by this magazine.

As late as January 26, 1976, Carter was the first choice of only four percent of Democratic voters, according to a Gallup poll. Yet "by mid-March 1976 Carter was not only far ahead of the active contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination, he also led President Ford by a few percentage points", according to Shoup.

He chose Senator Walter F. Mondale as his running mate. He attacked Washington in his speeches, and offered a religious salve for the nation's wounds.^[51]

Carter began the race with a sizable lead over Ford, who was able to narrow the gap over the course of the campaign, but was unable to prevent Carter from narrowly defeating him on November 2, 1976. Carter won the popular vote by 50.1 percent to 48.0 percent for Ford and received 297 electoral votes to Ford's 240. He became the first contender from the Deep South to be elected President since the 1848 election. Carter carried fewer states than Ford—23 states to the defeated Ford's 27—yet Carter won with the largest percentage of the popular vote (50.1 percent) of any non-incumbent since Dwight Eisenhower, and only half a percent less than what Ronald Reagan would defeat him with in 1980.

Presidency[link]

Jimmy Carter is sworn in as the 39th President of the United States by Chief Justice Warren Burger, January 20, 1977.

Carter was elected over Gerald Ford in 1976. His tenure was a time of continuing inflation and recession, as well as an energy crisis. On January 7, 1980, Carter signed Law H.R. 5860 aka Public Law 96-185 known as The Chrysler Corporation Loan Guarantee Act of 1979 bailing out Chrysler Corporation and canceled military pay raises during a time of high inflation and government deficits.

While attempting to calm various conflicts around the World, most visibly in the Middle East resulting in the signing of the Camp David Accords, giving back the Panama Canal and signing the SALT II nuclear arms reduction treaty with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, the final year of his administration was marred by the Iran hostage crisis, which contributed to his losing his 1980 re-election campaign to Ronald Reagan.

U.S. Energy Crisis[link]

On April 18, 1977 Carter delivered a televised speech declaring that the U.S. energy crisis during the 1970s was the moral equivalent of war. Carter encouraged energy conservation by all U.S. citizens and installed solar water heating panels on the White House,^[52][53] and wore sweaters while turning down the heat within the White House.

Carter meeting with the Shah of Iran, Mohammad-Reza Pahlavi, in Tehran

The Shah and Carter

EPA Love Canal Superfund[link]

In 1978, Carter declared a federal emergency in the neighborhood of Love Canal in the city of Niagara Falls, New York. More than 800 families were evacuated from the neighborhood, which was built on top of a toxic waste landfill. The Superfund law was created in response to the situation. Federal disaster money was appropriated to demolish the approximately 500 houses, the 99th Street School, and the 93rd Street School, which were built on top of the dump and to remediate the dump and construct a containment area. This was the first time that such a thing had been done. He then said that there were several more "Love Canals" across the country, and that discovering such dumpsites was "one of the grimmest discoveries of our modern era".

Deregulation[link]

American beer industry[link]

U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the
Airline Deregulation Act.

During 1979, Carter deregulated the American beer industry by opening access of the home-brew market back up to the craft brewers, making it again legal to sell malt, hops, and yeast to American home brewers for the first time since the effective 1920 beginning of Prohibition in the United States.^[54]

U.S. Airline Industry[link]

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed Alfred E. Kahn, a professor of economics at Cornell University, to be chair of the CAB. A concerted push for the legislation had developed, drawing on leading economists, leading 'think tanks' in Washington, a civil society coalition advocating the reform (patterned on a coalition earlier developed for the truck-and-rail-reform efforts), the head of the regulatory agency, Senate leadership, the Carter administration, and even some in the airline industry. This coalition swiftly gained legislative results in 1978.

The Airline Deregulation Act (Pub.L. 95-504) is United States enacted federal legislation signed into law by President Carter on October 24, 1978. The main purpose of the act was to remove government control over fares, routes and market entry (of new airlines) from commercial aviation. The Civil Aeronautics Board's powers of regulation were to be phased out, eventually allowing passengers to be exposed to market forces in the airline industry. The Act, however, did not remove or diminish the FAA's regulatory powers over all aspects of airline safety.

U.S. Boycott of the Moscow Olympics[link]

One of Carter's most bitterly controversial decisions was his boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow in response to the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. This marks the only time since the founding of the modern Olympics in 1896 that the United States has ever failed to participate in a Summer or Winter Olympics. The Soviet Union retaliated by boycotting the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and did not withdraw troops from Afghanistan until 1989 (eight years after Carter left office).

1980 presidential campaign[link]

The electoral map of the 1980 election

Carter wrote that the most intense and mounting opposition to his policies came from the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, which he attributed to Ted Kennedy's ambition to replace him as president.^[55] Kennedy, originally on board with Carter's health plan, pulled his support from that legislation in the late stages; Carter states that this was in anticipation of Kennedy's own candidacy, and when neither won, the tactic effectively delayed comprehensive health coverage for decades.^[56]

Carter's campaign for re-election in 1980 was one of the most difficult, and least successful, in history. He faced strong challenges from the right (Ronald Reagan), the center (John B. Anderson), and the left (Ted Kennedy). He had to run against his own "stagflation"-ridden economy. He alienated liberal college students, who were expected to be his base, by re-instating registration for the draft. He was defeated by Ronald Reagan.

Post-Presidency[link]

Former President and First Lady Carter wave from their aircraft after the inauguration of Ronald Reagan on January 20, 1981.

In 1981, Carter returned to Georgia to his peanut farm, which he had placed into a blind trust during his presidency to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest. He found that the trustees had mismanaged the trust, leaving him over one million dollars in debt. In the years that followed, he has led an active life, establishing The Carter Center, building his presidential library, teaching at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and writing numerous books.^[51]

Legacy[link]

When he first left office, Carter's presidency was viewed by most as a failure.^[57][58][59] In historical rankings of US presidents, the Carter presidency has ranged from #19 to #34. Although Carter's presidency received mixed reviews from some historians, his all-around peace keeping and humanitarian efforts since he left office have led him to be renowned as one of the most successful ex-presidents in US history.^[60][61]

Although Carter has also received mixed reviews in both television and film documentaries, such as the Man from Plains (2007), the 2009 documentary, Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace, credits Carter's efforts at Camp David, which brought peace between Israel and Egypt, with bringing the only meaningful peace to the Middle East. The film opened the 2009 Monte-Carlo Television Festival in an invitation-only royal screening^[62] on June 7, 2009 at the Grimaldi Forum in the presence of Albert II, Prince of Monaco.^[63]

Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale are the longest-living post-presidential team in American history. On December 11, 2006, they had been out of office for 25 years and 325 days, surpassing the former record established by President John Adams and Vice President Thomas Jefferson, who both died on July 4, 1826. On Friday, September 7, 2012, at 11:36 a.m. EST, Carter will surpass Herbert Hoover as the President with the longest retirement from the office.

Jimmy Carter is one of only four presidents,^[64] and the only one in modern history, who did not have an opportunity to nominate a judge to serve on the Supreme Court. The other three are William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, and Andrew Johnson.

Public image[link]

The Independent writes, "Carter is widely considered a better man than he was a president."^[65] While he began his term with a 66 percent approval rating,^[66] this had dropped to 34 percent approval by the time he left office, with 55 percent disapproving.^[67]

Much of this image in the public eye results from the Presidents proximate to him in history.^[68] In the wake of Nixon's Watergate Scandal, exit polls from the 1976 Presidential election suggested that many still held Gerald Ford's pardon of Nixon against him,^[69] and Carter by comparison seemed a sincere, honest, and well-meaning Southerner.^[65]

Despite being honest and truthful, Carter's administration suffered from his inexperience in politics. Carter paid too much attention to detail. He frequently backed down from confrontation and was always quick to retreat when under fire from political rivals. He frequently appeared to be indecisive and ineffective, and did not define his priorities clearly. He seemed to be distrustful and uninterested in working with other groups, or even with Congress when controlled by his own party, which he denounced for being controlled by special interest groups.^[68] Though he made efforts to address many of these issues in 1978, the approval he won from his reforms did not last long.

When Carter ran for reelection, Ronald Reagan's nonchalant self-confidence contrasted to Carter's serious and introspective temperament. Carter's personal attention to detail, his pessimistic attitude, his seeming indecisiveness and weakness with people was also accentuated by Reagan's charismic charm and easy delegation of tasks to subordinates.^[68][70] Ultimately, the combination of the economic problems, the Iran hostage crisis, and lack of Washington cooperation made it very easy for Reagan to portray Carter as a weak and ineffectual leader, which resulted in Carter to become the first elected president since 1932 to lose a reelection bid, and his presidency was largely considered to be a failure.

Notwithstanding perceptions while Carter was in office, his reputation has much improved. Carter's presidential approval rating, which sat at 31 percent just prior to the 1980 election, was polled in early 2009 at 64 percent.^[71] Carter's continued post-Presidency activities have also been favorably received. Carter explains that a great deal of this change was owed to Reagan's successor, George H. W. Bush, who actively sought him out and was far more courteous and interested in his advice than Reagan had been.^[65]

Carter Center[link]

Jimmy Carter (far right) in 1991 with President George H. W. Bush and former Presidents Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan at the dedication of the Reagan Presidential Library

18 years later, President of the United States of America George W. Bush invited former Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter (far right) and then-President Elect Barack Obama for a meeting and lunch at The White House. Photo taken Wednesday, January 7, 2009 in the Oval Office at The White House.

As President, Carter expressed a goal of making government "competent and compassionate." In pursuit of that vision, he has been involved in a variety of national and international public policy, conflict resolution, human rights and charitable causes.

In 1982, he established The Carter Center in Atlanta to advance human rights and alleviate unnecessary human suffering. The non-profit, nongovernmental Center promotes democracy, mediates and prevents conflicts, and monitors the electoral process in support of free and fair elections. It also works to improve global health through the control and eradication of diseases such as Guinea worm disease, river blindness, malaria, trachoma, lymphatic filariasis, and schistosomiasis. It also works to diminish the stigma of mental illnesses and improve nutrition through increased crop production in Africa. A major accomplishment of The Carter Center has been the elimination of more than 99 percent of cases of Guinea worm disease, a debilitating parasite that has existed since ancient times, from an estimated 3.5 million cases in 1986 to 3,190 reported cases in 2009.^[72] The Carter Center has monitored 81 elections in 33 countries since 1989.^[73] It has worked to resolve conflicts in Haiti, Bosnia, Ethiopia, North Korea, Sudan and other countries. Carter and the Center actively support human rights defenders around the world and have intervened with heads of state on their behalf.

[edit] Nobel Peace Prize

In 2002, President Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work "to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development" through The Carter Center.^[74] Three sitting presidents, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Barack Obama, have received the prize; Carter is unique in receiving the award for his actions after leaving the presidency. He is, along with Martin Luther King, Jr., one of only two native Georgians to receive the Nobel.

Diplomacy[link]

Foreign trips of Jimmy Carter during his presidency

North Korea[link]

In 1994, North Korea had expelled investigators from the International Atomic Energy Agency and was threatening to begin processing spent nuclear fuel. In response, then-President Clinton pressured for US sanctions and ordered large amounts of troops and vehicles into the area to brace for war.

Bill Clinton secretly recruited Carter to undertake a peace mission to North Korea,^[75] under the guise that it was a private mission of Carter's. Clinton saw Carter as a way to let North Korean President Kim Il-sung back down without losing face.^[76]

Carter negotiated an understanding with Kim Il-sung, but went further and outlined a treaty, which he announced on CNN without the permission of the Clinton White House as a way to force the US into action. The Clinton Administration signed a later version of the Agreed Framework, under which North Korea agreed to freeze and ultimately dismantle its current nuclear program and comply with its nonproliferation obligations in exchange for oil deliveries, the construction of two light water reactors to replace its graphite reactors, and discussions for eventual diplomatic relations.

The agreement was widely hailed at the time as a significant diplomatic achievement.^[77][78] In December 2002, the Agreed Framework collapsed as a result of a dispute between the George W. Bush Administration and the North Korean government of Kim Jong-il. In 2001, Bush had taken a confrontational position toward North Korea and, in January 2002, named it as part of an "Axis of Evil". Meanwhile, North Korea began developing the capability to enrich uranium. Bush Administration opponents of the Agreed Framework believed that the North Korean government never intended to give up a nuclear weapons program, but supporters believed that the agreement could have been successful and was undermined.^[79]

In August 2010, Carter traveled to North Korea in an attempt to secure the release of Aijalon Mahli Gomes. Gomes, a U.S. citizen, was sentenced to eight years of hard labor after being found guilty of illegally entering North Korea. Carter successfully secured the release.^[80]

Middle East[link]

Carter and experts from The Carter Center assisted unofficial Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in designing a model agreement for peace–-called the Geneva Accord–-in 2002–2003.^[81]

Carter has also in recent years become a frequent critic of Israel's policies in Lebanon, West Bank, and Gaza.^[82][83]