I’ve always said President Jimmy Carter was my first U.S. President. Since I was born in 1970, I suppose technically, President Richard Nixon should be the name with this distinction since his time in the White House spanned from 1969 until his resignation in 1974.
In the days since his death, many people have offered tributes and assessments on the life of Jimmy Carter. Yet for many past and present Glencoe residents, they are recollecting their personal interactions with the 39th president of the United States. Carter is forever tied to Glencoe when he arrived in the village in November 1978 for a fundraiser then-U.S. Congressman Abner Mikva, days ahead of the midterm elections that year.
Established in 1982, two years after Jimmy Carter lost his bid for a second term, the Carter Center has been the former president’s signature effort to promote fair elections as a vehicle for peace.