Carter Center Staff Tribute to Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter

“We have a great opportunity to change things forever for everyone with mental illness. The solutions are truly within our reach.” 

—  First Lady Rosalynn Carter 

ATLANTA (Nov. 19, 2023) — The global staff of The Carter Center grieves the passing of our visionary co-founder, former U.S. First Lady Rosalynn Carter, whose compassion, strength, and leadership inspired us all. 

For more than 50 years, Mrs. Carter was a tireless advocate for those living with mental illnesses, supporting practical measures and policy reforms to create parity for mental illnesses with physical illnesses in Georgia, the United States, and the rest of the world. She taught generations of journalists how to report about behavioral health in a way that reduces stigma and stimulates understanding and equitable treatment. She also advocated for caregivers, for acceptance of life-saving vaccinations for children and adults, for the elderly, for humane end of life, and even for the survival of the delicate and beautiful monarch butterfly.  

She was a partner in good deeds with her husband, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, as they traversed the globe to strengthen democracy, resolve conflicts, advance human rights, and eliminate debilitating diseases after their time in the White House.  

Mrs. Carter was a caring person. Every time we see a butterfly, we will be reminded of her legacy of tenderness and resilience. 

She will ever inspire us at The Carter Center as we seek to advance her vision to address the needs of vulnerable people, whether they suffer from mental illnesses or from preventable tropical diseases in the world’s poorest nations. 

In lieu of flowers, Mrs. Carter requested that those wishing to honor her memory do so through contributions to the Carter Center’s Mental Health Program or the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers. Please visit www.RosalynnCarterTribute.org to make a memorial gift, sign a virtual condolence book, and learn more about her amazing life. 

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Contact: media@cartercenter.org 

The Carter Center
Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope. 

A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnershipwith Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.