The passing of former president Jimmy Carter last week stimulated multiple reminiscences of his one term in the White House, fraught with challenges of inflation, an energy crisis, and the Iran hostages, but perhaps more about his post-presidential activities. No president ever had such a long post-presidential span – 43 years – or inspired volunteerism and human rights advocacy as Jimmy Carter and his beloved wife, Rosalynn.
Carter’s inauguration on January 20, 1977 was a sunny but very chilly event. Snow from an earlier storm still was on the ground; crowds were enthusiastic but smaller as his was the last presidential inauguration to take place on the East Front of the Capitol, an area which can accommodate far fewer attendees than the expansive West Front and National Mall.
Our daughter was not quite four when she attended Carter’s inauguration on the shoulders of her dad. Looking for a good spot to observe the ceremony, she told her dad “When I am president, I’m going to put the little people in the front!” Some Senate offices hosted informal activities for visiting constituents before the noon ceremony. I was an aide for Senator Frank Church (D-Idaho), who had run in, and won, several presidential primaries against Carter. Hot chocolate seemed to be a good idea for the 50 or so Idaho constituents who had seats for the inauguration, but I planned for 100, just in case. Somehow, our little gathering was published as an “official” inaugural event, and by noon, we had served hot chocolate, tea, and whatever else was available, to about 250 people!
Carter was our third president in just two-and-a-half years, and many were looking for stability in governance and the cabinet. For westerners, Carter’s choice of some cabinet members was welcome, and close to home. Idaho’s Governor, Cecil Andrus, was tapped to be Secretary of the Interior. “Cece” was a great friend of Church’s and all of Idaho was proud of his selection. Shirley Hufstedler of California, a Stanford Law School classmate of Church’s, became the first Secretary of Education, and Neil Goldschmidt, who was a year ahead of me at the University of Oregon, was Secretary of Transportation in the latter part of Carter’s term. Being on a first name basis with some cabinet officials is heady, but I always had to remember that protocol requires use of their titles, regardless of familiarity.
Jimmy Carter’s victory over Gerald Ford in the 1976 presidential race was close – 50.1 percent to 48 percent. Total votes cast in 1976 for a host of candidates was nearly 81 million; the winning margin was about 1.68 million votes nationwide. In the 2024 presidential election, total votes cast was close to 155 million, almost twice the 1976 turnout, but the percentage was closer – 49.9 percent for the victor; 48.4 percent for the loser, a 2.28 million vote margin nationwide. In the 48 intervening years, the U.S. population increased from 218 million to 334 million, a testament, perhaps, to the promise of America – democracy, freedom, and human rights.
Flying the American flag at half-staff for 30 days is a standard part of the mourning process following the death of a president or former president. Donald Trump has protested this tradition of respect and remembrance as a personal affront to his inauguration, but this is not the first time that flags will be lowered during an inauguration. Harry Truman died on December 26, 1973, and flags were at half-staff for Richard Nixon’s second inauguration on January 20, 1973. Unexpectedly, Lyndon Johnson passed away two days later, on January 22, 1973, so the flags remained at half-staff well into late February that year, perhaps foretelling the scandal-ridden demise of the Nixon Administration in August of 1974. It would be wise to remember that the same respect will be shown when Donald Trump dies, something I am sure he would demand despite his antipathy to Jimmy Carter.