The Bob Graham Center for Public Service mourns the passing of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, a consequential public servant and dear friend. She passed away Sunday afternoon at the age of 96.
Throughout her trailblazing life, Mrs. Carter transformed America’s attitude toward mental health, leading to the Mental Health Systems Act of 1980. Her passion for mental health reaches back to when her husband, President Jimmy Carter, was Governor of Georgia and she worked on the state’s Commission to Improve Services to the Mentally and Emotionally Handicapped. After serving as First Lady of Georgia then the U.S., she continued changing lives by advancing mental health awareness with the Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy at the Carter Center. The symposium has been a platform for action with top leaders in the mental health space and beyond for 32 years.
Mrs. Carter was also a championed advocate in both domestic and international realms. She is remembered for advancing women’s rights and promoting humanitarian initiatives across the globe.
Rising generations of public servants at the Carter Center and Bob Graham Center will benefit for many years to come from the model that Mrs. Carter established. We honor her legacy and lend our support to the Carter family through this difficult time.
