President Carter Remembered for SMU Visit, Humanitarianism

Leaders at SMU joined the chorus of tributes to the 39th president as the nation mourned the passing of the United States’ longest living chief executive.

James Earl Carter Jr. – better known as President Jimmy Carter – died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100.

“President Carter dignified the office,” noted former President George W. Bush in a statement released by his presidential center on the SMU campus. “And his efforts to leave behind a better world didn’t end with the presidency. His work with Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center set an example of service that will inspire Americans for generations.”

Leaders at SMU recalled a visit where Carter inspired those on campus.

Two days before the 1976 Texas presidential primary, candidate Carter spoke at SMU’s McFarlin Auditorium to a crowd of 2,400, his third campaign event of the day. 

Carter entered to the song “This Is My Country” where, according to the Dallas Morning News, “the crowd almost came out of the double balconies.”

Less than two miles away at NorthPark Center, then President Gerald Ford also greeted the largest crowd of his two Texas tours. Both men would go on to win their party’s nomination in the Texas primary, which took place on May 1, 1976.

During his speech, Carter talked about fairness, honesty, and compassion in government. He appealed to what he called the “independence and pride of Texas.”  

Carter was the last Democratic presidential candidate to claim Texas, winning with little more than 51 percent of the vote. 

William Taylor

William Taylor, editor of Park Cities People and Preston Hollow People, shares a name and a birthday with his dad and a love for community journalism with his colleagues at People Newspapers. He joined the staff in 2016 after more than 25 years working for daily newspapers in such places as Alexandria, Louisiana; Baton Rouge; McKinney; San Angelo; and Sherman, though not in anywhere near that order. A city manager once told him that “city government is the best government” because of its potential to improve the lives of its residents. William still enjoys covering municipal government and many other topics. Follow him on Twitter @Seminarydropout. He apologizes in advance to the Joneses for any angry Tweets that might slip out about the Dallas Cowboys during the NFL season. You also can reach him at william.taylor@peoplenewspapers.com. For the latest news, click here to sign up for our newsletter.

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