FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 22, 2023
Contact: JR Russ
(202) 615-4059
[email protected]
DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities
Mourn the Loss of Former First Lady, Rosalynn Carter
Washington, DC – The DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities extends sincere condolences to the family of former First Lady, Rosalynn Carter who peacefully passed away at her Plains, Georgia home on Sunday. Mrs. Carter was an exceptional humanitarian and staunch supporter of diversity, particularly women’s rights. She, like her husband, dedicated her life to one of service. She was often at her husband’s side working together on such projects as Habitat for Humanity. The pair was considered some of the organizations’ best “hands-on construction volunteers.”
“Mrs. Carter was a respected philanthropist and an appreciator of the arts,” said Commission Chairman Reggie Van Lee. “She and I both served as Trustees at Washington, DC’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Although I never saw her perform a plié or play an instrument, her love of the arts was evident by her dedication and support of the Kennedy Center,” added Van Lee.
“Mrs. Carter’s dedication to humanity is deserving of recognition today,” said Executive Director Aaron Myers. “Her advocacy for mental health, early childhood immunization and human rights were a few of the reasons why she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by then President Bill Clinton in 1999. While in the White House, Rosalynn Carter became a friend of artists nationwide by dedicating herself to focusing on mental health and on the performing arts”, stated Director Myers.
Rosalynn Carter was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2001 and in 2019, she and her husband Jimmy officially became the longest-married presidential couple in history.