Jimmy Carter National Historic Site

James Earl Carter served from 1977 to 1981 as the 39th president of the United States. Born on Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains, Ga., he attended Georgia Tech and the United States Naval Academy, from which he graduated in 1946. Carter served in the navy as an engineer working with nuclear-powered submarines. After the death of his father, however, he resigned (1953) his commission to manage the family's peanut-farming business. He was a state senator (1962-66) and ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1966. In his second attempt (1970), Carter was elected governor and served one term (1971-75).