All about President Jimmy Carter’s family, wife and 4 children

President Jimmy Carter’s legacy includes not only his work as a politician, but also the large family he built with his beloved wife of nearly eight decades, Rosalynn.

The 39th President of the United States died at the age of 100 on December 29, 2024, surrounded by his family. As the longest-serving president in American history, serving from 1977 to 1981, Jimmy Carter is remembered for his foreign policy leadership, humanitarian work, and advocacy. After his presidency, he founded Carter Center for the Advancement of Human Rights across the globe and was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

The former commander-in-chief was also a devoted family man. And that love and admiration has always been reciprocated. “My father was a hero, not only to me, but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and selfless love,” his son, Chip Carter, said in a declaration. “My brothers, sister and I shared him with the rest of the world through these shared beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live by these shared beliefs.”

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Read on to learn all about President Carter’s long marriage to his wife Rosalynn and their large, loving family full of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Jimmy Carter was married to his wife Rosalynn for 77 years

While the former president knew he wanted to marry his hometown sweetheart after one date, Rosalynn rejected his first proposal. She told ABC News she had promised her father that she would complete her university education.

“She said no,” Jimmy told Winfrey of his first proposal less than a year after their first date. “From then until the end of May, she maintained ‘No.’ I kept trying and finally she said ‘OK’.”

The Carters tied the knot July 7, 1946 in their hometown in Georgia and celebrated 77 years of marriage in 2023. Rosalynn departed by death a few months later on November 19, 2023 at the age of 96.

Jimmy said on his 75th birthday that “marrying Rosalynn” was the most important thing he had ever done. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew someone loved and supported me,” he said in a statement after her death.

On January 9, 2025, the former becomes president buried next to his wife in Plains, Georgia.

John William “Jack” Carter

Jack Carter, now 77, followed in his father’s military footsteps and served in the US Navy during the Vietnam War. After his service, Jack worked for INVESCOan investment management company, and then acted as an advisor to Chicago Board of Trade in Illinois. He later ran for a US Senate seat in Nevada in 2006, although he lost to Republican incumbent Sen. John Ensign.

Jack has two children, son James and daughter Sarah, with his first wife, Judy Langford. He is also stepfather to his wife Elizabeth Brasfield’s two children from a previous marriage, Sarah and John.

James Earl “Chip” Carter III

Chip Carter, now 74, was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, then his father was stationed there during his service in the Navy. And that’s how he got his nickname, which “chip” is Hawaiian for “baby”. Along with his brothers, Chip worked for the family peanut business and later became involved in his father’s political career, which started when he was 16 years old, according to University of Georgia. He has previously been chairman of Friendship strengtha nonprofit organization founded by Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter in 1977.

“He taught us the value of hard work, the importance of community and the power of love,” Chip said at his father’s funeral at the Carter Center. “We will carry it forward.”

Chip has two children: son James Earl IV with his first wife Caron Griffin and daughter Margaret Alicia with his second wife Ginger Hodges.

Donnell Jeffrey “Jeff” Carter

Donnel Jeffrey “Jeff” Carter, now 72, studied geography and computer cartography at George Washington University and later co-founded a company called Computer Mapping Consultants, according to an archive from TIME. Today, Jeff has lived with Parkinson’s disease for some time, his son Josh said People in 2024, but lives independently.

Jeff has three children – sons Joshua, Jeremy and James – with his wife Annette, who died in 2021. Jeremy too unfortunately died in 2015 at the age of 28.

Amy Lynn Carter

Amy Carter grew up in the White House for many years during her father’s presidency. She became involved in political activism and made headlines in the 80s protesting against CIA recruitment and apartheid. In 1985, her father said he was proud of Amy’s political activism, according to LA Times file. Amy later illustrated her father’s 1995 children’s book, The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer.

Amy has two children. She shares a son, Hugo James, with ex-husband James Gregory Wentzel and welcomed her second child, son Errol Carter, with husband Joseph “Jay” Kelly.

speaks to Atlanta News First in January 2025 following his grandfather’s passing, Jimmy’s first and oldest grandson, Jason Carter, spoke about how he has been trying to follow in his footsteps.

“Over time, what I try to emulate is his respect for other people,” he said. “He never looked down on anybody, no matter what your job was, no matter where you came from, no matter your condition, and that’s really. what I try to do.”