Jimmy Carter: Man of the people

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Photos: Jimmy Carter: Man of the people

Photos and stories of Jimmy Carter taken with everyday Georgians. These are photos shared by readers of the AJC

Ken Leebow: A few years ago, we had the privilege of getting a private tour of the Jimmy Carter Library by Jimmy Carter. It was a memorable tour of his presidency. One interesting observation from President Carter: "You have done something I have never done. You have met a Democratic president." Of course, this tour predated the Clinton and Obama presidencies. We wish President Carter well. (From left: Ken Leebow, Alice Leebow, President Jimmy Carter, Albert Leebow, Denice Leebow)

Ross Alford: I met Jimmy Carter when I was around 10. He held a fundraiser at my grandfather's property in Stone Mountain. There was barbecue, and professional pyrotechnics were installed. I can't really remember what it was all about, but the Secret Service came out about a month in advance and set up security cameras and spotlights throughout the property, which at the time was around 300 acres or so. Expecting Jimmy Carter to arrive in some sort of limousine was not the case; instead he and Rosalynn arrived in an unmarked, blacked out, windowless van. Long story short, I got to meet him, and all cousins, brother and I had our picture taken with him inside my grandfather's house. He was a nice guy, and my grandfather was a golf fanatic and actually wrote a golf joke book, so my grandfather and Jimmy Carter swapped signatures on each of their books and joked. It is a memory I will never forget.

David Kellner: We sat behind Jimmy at a Braves game. Here is picture of him giving his wife a high five after a home run on June 13, 2014.

Don Cleveland of West Point, Georgia: One of the traditions at the Plains Peanut Festival 5K and 1 mile road races is for President Carter to be on hand to award the trophies to the overall and age-group winners. This picture was taken on the Plains Depot platform in 1999. President Carter seemed particularly delighted to note that the T-shirt I was wearing bore the picture of our encounter taken at the 1998 event.

Julie Kooken: My 13-year-old son, Joseph Kooken (left), met Jimmy Carter one evening this past April. His great-grandson played in one of the leagues there this spring. President Carter even kept score for the team for a while. He graciously agreed to have his picture taken with my son and his friend, Jacob Suever, after my son told President Carter, "Go Navy! Beat Army!"

Sumita Dalmia: I met President Carter in May 2013, the day after I graduated from Mercer Law School. Even though I had known for a few years that President Carter teaches Sunday School in Plains, GA, I waited until my graduation from law school to go and see him, knowing that it would be the perfect time to do so. I have always been inspired by our country's rich culture, history, and traditions. As someone that constantly is inspired to become a better leader in my society, I have been fascinated by the presidency and aspire to have the skills that they often do. President Carter was everything that I could have imagined and more. He was humble, kind, and intelligent. Even though I am not a Christian, his sermon spoke to me in ways that I will always remember. It was remarkable to see the love flowing so ever naturally between him and first lady Rosalynn Carter. Even though his Secret Service agents were getting antsy at the length of the line forming to say hello to him, he never expressed an ounce of impatience. When I met him, he smiled and congratulated me on my graduation and said, "Well, I hope I never need to call you!" He made me smile and I am confident that his brilliance and legacy will forever live as a piece of our country's history.

Jeanne Cahill of Rome: When I chaired the Georgia Commission on the Status of Women, Gov. Carter's office sent to radio, TV and newspapers statewide a series of posters and spots on safety. One, directed at preventing rape, showed a pretty girl in a miniskirt walking alone in a dark alley. The commission requested the governor withdraw the poster as inaccurate, perpetuating the idea pretty girls are to blame by inviting such attacks. The governor was sympathetic, said he would notify all recipients to withdraw the rape poster and related spots from the packet but expected the commission to address the problem appropriately. The result was an acclaimed publication "Rape and the Treatment of Rape Victims in Ga." with 10,000 copies distributed to agencies in Georgia and requests for copies from across the U.S. and a few foreign locations. The cost, $10,000, was provided by Gov. Carter from his discretionary funds because the commission was all volunteer and no funds had ever been appropriated for its work. The rape study brought important changes in laws, how to gather and preserve evidence, and a requirement for a female photographer if pictures were to be taken. Thanks to the support and encouragement of Gov. Carter, the rape study and other work of the commission resulted in funding from the federal Labor Department for a paid executive director and office space.

Holden Thomas, 10: My grandparents live in Dawson, which is near Plains. They took me to see President Carter teach the Sunday school class at his church on Easter Sunday of this year. President Carter spoke of his travels to faraway places in the Middle East. He asked questions, such as “what do you know of Dubai and Qatar?” I was able to answer his questions. He asked me to stand up in front of the large Easter crowd. When I had my picture made with him, he asked me who I thought would win the NCAA championship. I replied Duke. (GO BLUE DEVILS) He told me that two of his grandsons went to Duke.

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Ken Leebow: A few years ago, we had the privilege of getting a private tour of the Jimmy Carter Library by Jimmy Carter. It was a memorable tour of his presidency. One interesting observation from President Carter: "You have done something I have never done. You have met a Democratic president." Of course, this tour predated the Clinton and Obama presidencies. We wish President Carter well. (From left: Ken Leebow, Alice Leebow, President Jimmy Carter, Albert Leebow, Denice Leebow)

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