This story was originally published by The Telegraph.
Former President Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday at 100 years old, left behind a substantial impact on the American school system that has shaped the trajectory of education policy.
Carter’s legacy influenced a wide range of educational developments, including providing support for higher education opportunities, as well as disadvantaged student groups and schools, both nationally and in the Peach State.
Despite fierce criticism from conservative leaders, Carter signed S. 210 into law in 1979 and established the federal Department of Education. The new Cabinet-level agency reflected Carter’s belief that education was a national priority and required more specialized funding and attention, thus expanding the federal government’s role in education policy.
“Education is our most important national investment,” Carter said when signing the legislation. “Every citizen has a vital, personal stake in this investment. Our ability to advance both economically and technologically, our country’s entire intellectual and cultural life depend on the success of our great educational enterprise.”
Congress also said the purpose of the Department of Education would be to “strengthen the Federal commitment to ensuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual…”
Carter quickly became a community leader who served on local county boards supervising education in Georgia, according to the Carter Center. He also had an important role in higher education, tackling discrimination in intercollegiate athletics, segregation in the nation’s public colleges, and increasing spending on student aid, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said Carter’s contributions to education opened doors to opportunity for generations of students across the country.
“I will always admire the determination and resolve shown by President Carter during his early political career in Georgia, where he worked to end segregation, including enforcing public school integration and other civil rights laws, invested in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and created scholarships for students of color,” Cardona said in a statement Sunday following the death of Carter.
‘He never missed a board meeting’
Carter also promoted higher education in Middle Georgia, initially elected to serve on the Mercer University Board of Trustees in 2012. Carter supported Mercer University for half a century, dating back to his term as Georgia’s 76th governor.
“Until his health began to decline in 2019, he never missed a board meeting. He asked tough questions, offered keen insights, and took every opportunity to advance Mercer and its mission,” Mercer President William D. Underwood said in a press release.
He authorized the initial state funding that led to the establishment of the Mercer University School of Medicine, which opened in 1982, according to university leaders. The school’s mission was to prepare primary care physicians for underserved areas across the state.
Mercer Medicine now has six rural clinics across Georgia and more locations under consideration.
The President Jimmy Carter Leadership Program was also established in 2019 to honor the legacy of Georgia Southwestern State University alumnus and the former president, who attended the university in 1941.
The program aims to cultivate leadership skills in students by reflecting Carter’s values in education, politics and community service, according to the university’s website. In a press release, Carter said he wanted to help invest in future leaders, just as the institution had done for him over 75 years ago.
Mason Jordan and Tyrianna Anderson, both of Macon, were among the 19 students selected for the prestigious program back in August.
Although Carter made significant strides to improve education in the country, his efforts were met with mixed reactions and deemed controversial due to the federal government’s role in education.
“I came to the office of the Presidency determined that the American people should receive a better return on their investment in education,” Carter said back in 1979. “I came equally determined that our nation’s formidable educational challenges should be brought to the forefront of national discussion where they belong.”
Carter served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. He also served one term as the 76th governor of Georgia.
In 2002, Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Credit: The Telegraph
Credit: The Telegraph
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