Rosalyn Carter

Rosalyn Smith Carter (born August 18, 1927) is an American former First Lady and humanitarian who served as the wife of President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981. Born in Plains, Georgia, Rosalyn grew up in a close-knit community and developed a deep commitment to service and social justice from an early age. Beyond her role as First Lady, where she championed mental health awareness and broke traditional protocols by attending Cabinet meetings, Rosalyn founded the Carter Center with her husband in 1982, an organization dedicated to advancing human rights and fighting disease globally. Through the Carter Center, she has worked tirelessly on initiatives addressing mental health, homelessness, and international disease eradication. Her advocacy for people with mental illness was particularly groundbreaking, challenging stigma and promoting compassionate treatment at a time when the topic was largely taboo. Now in her 90s, Rosalyn Carter continues to be an active voice for humanitarian causes and remains one of the most respected and beloved former First Ladies in American history. Her decades of dedicated service have made her an icon of compassion and social responsibility.