Why Michelle Obama Missed Jimmy Carter's Funeral

The former president—who led the nation from 1977 to 1981—is survived by four children, including  John William "Jack" Carter, James E. "Chip" Carter III, Donnel Jeffrey "Jeff" Carter and Amy Carter, as well as 11 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. His late wife, Rosalynn Carter, preceded him in death in 2023, when she died at the age of 96. 

Following the loss of his father, Chip shared a nod to his memory. 

“My father was a hero not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love,” Chip wrote in a Carter Center statement after his father’s death. “My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.”

During his time as the 39th president of the United States, Carter focused on international diplomacy, solidifying the Panama Canal treaties, the Camp David Accords—creating a framework of peace between Israel and Egypt—and the SALT II treaty with the Soviet Union, which limited both nations’ number of nuclear forces.

Domestically, Carter also pardoned those who resisted the draft for the Vietnam War, focused on energy conservation and passed the Humphrey–Hawkins Full Employment Act, which aimed to keep unemployment below three percent and inflation below four percent. 

At his inauguration, Carter exited his limousine and walked to the White House—which “shocked” the Secret Service, per the Miller Center. In his speech that day, he stated his aim of his four-year presidency was to simply do his best.

“We have learned that 'more' is not necessarily ‘better,’ that even our great nation has its recognized limits, and that we can neither answer all questions nor solve all problems," he said. “We cannot afford to do everything, nor can we afford to lack boldness as we meet the future.”

He also emphasized his goal to promote equity during his term. 

“We have already found a high degree of personal liberty, and we are now struggling to enhance equality of opportunity,” he said during his address. “Our commitment to human rights must be absolute, our laws fair, our natural beauty preserved; the powerful must not persecute the weak, and human dignity must be enhanced.”

The collection of living former presidents at Carter’s funeral is the first time the nation’s previous leaders have been in the same room since 2018—at late president George H.W. Bush’s funeral—but many other powerful politicians also attended the event. 

Keep reading to see more guests in attendance…