Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter, full name James Earl Carter (1924- ). US statesman, 39th president of the US (1977-81). The son of a peanut farmer, he resigned as a navy physicist to take over the family business on his father’s death in 1953. He entered politics in 1960 and from 1970 to 1974 was governor of Georgia. In 1976 he defeated Gerald Ford in the presidential election and became the first Southern president since the American Civil War. His main achievement in office was a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel (1979). Since his defeat by Ronald Reagan in the 1980 presidential elections he has reemerged as a respected international negotiator.
