Rosalynn Carter



Eleanor Rosalynn Carter (née Smith) (August 18, 1927 – November 19, 2023) was the first lady of the United States from 1977 to 1980, as the wife of President Jimmy Carter. As first lady, she supported her husband's public policies as well as his social and personal life. After leaving the White House in 1981, she continued to advocate for mental health and other causes, and wrote several books.

Quotes

 * And what will that future hold? Perhaps none have a greater right to ask that question than the young people of this country, and none are more qualified to answer. The ten teenage essay winners who participated in the opening ceremony had been asked: "How will women have changed this country by the year 2087?" Although they came from places as diverse as Dorchester, Alaska and the Bronx, New York, each was chosen because she or he had expressed a unique opinion or insight into the future role of women in our society.
 * "Women and the Constitution: A Bicentennial Perspective (Speeches and Addresses) (1988)
 * Maybe a hundred years from now we can say "We the People" and include all of the people of this great country of ours. If what we heard from each other and from our young people is an example of changing attitudes, we can truly look forward to the future as a golden age for women.
 * "Women and the Constitution: A Bicentennial Perspective (Speeches and Addresses) (1988)


 * A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be.
 * As quoted in Successful Leadership: 8 Essential Principles You Must Know (2007) by Barine Kirimi, p. 165


 * I want people to know that mental illnesses can be diagnosed, can be treated. The overwhelming majority of people can live full and productive lives in the community. People don’t know that. That’s one reason I wrote the book. But I want everybody to know what I know, so we can get over the stigma and go on to do what is good and right for people with mental illnesses.
 * "Rosalynn Carter On The Mental Health Crisis" at JFK Presidential Library & Museum (2010)


 * Recovery is one prevalence. Mental illness affects all of us. They touch every family in our country. One in four Americans is diagnosed with mental illness every year, one in four. This is one reason why I cannot understand why stigma is still so bad because everybody knows somebody, if not a family member, a close friend, living with a mental illness. Stigma is the third thing. Stigma is the greatest barrier to seeking care for individuals who have mental illness, the greatest barrier for a person with a mental illness. And it’s the greatest barrier for those of us in the field who are trying to do something about it.
 * "Rosalynn Carter On The Mental Health Crisis" at JFK Presidential Library & Museum (2010)


 * To neglect those who, through no fault of their own, are in need, runs counter to our values, our decency and equality. Today, with our knowledge and expertise, we have a great opportunity to change things forever, for all people with mental illnesses, with what we know now, to move forward to a new era of understanding, care and respect.
 * "Rosalynn Carter On The Mental Health Crisis" at JFK Presidential Library & Museum (2010)


 * We need to end the silence and put pressure on governments and the private sector to prioritize mental health care reform. And the reform process needs to be guided by informed decision-making that includes the voices and stories of people with lived experience.
 * "We Are at the Beginning of a Global Mental Health Revolution" (30 May 2019)


 * Speaking up about this subject can be difficult. But the time has come for people who have lived with mental health disorders to make sure their voices are heard.
 * "We Are at the Beginning of a Global Mental Health Revolution" (30 May 2019)


 * Thirty years is a long time in the history of caregiving as an issue in our country. The world was a very different place then. We used push-button phones, not cell phones, and had big word processors, not personal computers. There were social clubs, not social media, and people took care of each other because of a sense of familial responsibility. You didn’t hear much about “caregivers,” not because they didn’t exist but because what they were doing was quite common, and it was expected.
 * "Opinion: Caregiving Support’s Come a Long Way" (20 October 2017)


 * Compassion is what makes our nation great. When we invest in the health and happiness of our fellow Americans, we reap dividends that pay off for generations. We urge our leaders to support all those Americans who are seeking to restore and maintain their physical and mental health. We can think of no better way to strengthen our economy, our communities, and our families.
 * "A Sound Mind is a Sound Investment: Rosalynn Carter and Chirlane McCray" (11 April 2017)


 * American women have increasingly realized — as have men — the impact our opinions have in the voting booth and the marketplace. We have united to impact politics and policy, but also importantly to use our influence to help the poor, the oppressed, and those who suffer from mental or physical illnesses.
 * "International Women’s Day: Reflecting on Progress Made and Challenges Still Unmet" (8 March 2016)


 * I hope that no one will ever tell a girl that there is something she can’t do because she is a girl. I hope that women have and embrace the power to change things, so that every person can choose a life that offers them respect from others and deep satisfaction for themselves. I hope that equal education and equal opportunities are available for women to grow to their maximum potential, whatever that is. I hope women will use political power to make the world a better place and claim a natural role as the world’s peacemakers.
 * "International Women’s Day: Reflecting on Progress Made and Challenges Still Unmet" (8 March 2016)


 * I have already seen the butterfly garden, and I'd like to thank everybody who made that possible. And the movie, and I'm sentimental already. I have known Jimmy Carter for most of my life — I think for all of my life except when I was very small. He likes to say that he was my next-door neighbor when I was born, and he looked through the bars on the cradle and saw me. I didn't recognize him then.
 * "Rosalynn Carter's Remarks at The Carter Center's 90th Birthday Celebration for Former President Jimmy Carter" (30 September 2014)


 * Scientific advancements over the past three decades have greatly improved our understanding of the causes, nature, and treatment of many diseases and disabilities, including mental illnesses. Attention to the social determinants of health has led to the identification of risk factors and underlying causes of disadvantage and illness. Technology has made possible unparalleled public access to information so that more and more Americans know that treatments work and are available. Additionally, social networking provides multiple platforms from which advocates and consumers can organize and unite efforts to improve quality of life and address issues such as resiliency and recovery.
 * "Editor's Choice: Addressing Stigma Through Social Inclusion" (8 April 2013)


 * I wanted to take mental illnesses and emotional disorders out of the closet, to let people know it is all right to admit having a problem without fear of being called crazy. If only we could consider mental illnesses as straightforwardly as we do physical illnesses, those affected could seek help and be treated in an open and effective way.
 * "Notable quotes from former first lady Rosalynn Carter" in AP (10 November 2023)

Quotes about Rosalynn Carter

 * Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished.
 * As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.


 * Jimmy Carter according to Former U.S. First Lady Rosalynn Carter dies at 96 (November 26, 2023)