Jimmy Carter wants no introduction, then-WBEZ host Ken Davis joked on July 8, 1988, as he proceeded to introduce the previous president.
The thirty ninth president, who died on Sunday at age 100, was in Chicago on that significantly sizzling summer season day to advertise his newest ebook An Outside Journal: Adventures and Reflections. He joined Davis and his colleague Sondra Gair within the WBEZ studios.
Carter entered at-home hospice care in February 2023, deciding to forgo any additional medical therapies. Already the longest residing former president, Carter turned the primary U.S. president to achieve 100 in October.
By 1988, Carter, who was 63 on the time, had been out of workplace for eight years, following his definitive defeat within the 1980 election to Ronald Reagan. All through the ’80s, the previous Georgia peanut farmer had been busy not solely writing books but additionally launching the nonprofit Carter Middle in Atlanta targeted on points like battle decision and illness prevention, and dealing with fellow ex-President Gerald Ford on diplomatic efforts each international and home.
Carter got here to WBEZ because the nation was within the midst of a presidential marketing campaign, with then-Vice President George H.W. Bush and Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis vying to succeed Reagan.
Carter — who appeared as a visitor on WBEZ a handful of occasions — was within the studio to speak in regards to the ebook chronicling his lifelong love for the outside, from fly fishing for trout to turkey looking. However Davis and Gair couldn’t resist the possibility to ask their esteemed visitor to weigh in on the problems of the day.
Whereas he was reserved in his criticism of Reagan, Carter stated the nation was sliding backward on environmental insurance policies below his successor. In remarks which will sound eerily trendy, Carter — who proclaimed himself the primary environmental president — stated it was time to behave to reverse indicators of a warming planet.
“I believe that there’s a real concern. The factor is we ought to not be alarmists and gloom sayers, we ought to comprehend that if we take motion now of an inexpensive and constructive nature on a global foundation, we are able to reverse these traits and shield the surroundings not solely within the current years but additionally in many years to return,” Carter stated.
Later, with what Davis described as a twinkle in his eye, Carter provided “the three primary parts any president should personify” — implying Reagan didn’t meet the mark.
“One is the president should all the time inform the reality in order that when he has a press convention, when he makes a press release, the world will know this man is telling the reality,” Carter stated. “I don’t suppose it’s asking an excessive amount of.”
Second, Carter stated “the president should be competent. He should know what’s happening within the White Home, not less than, and ideally should know what’s happening in the remainder of the federal government.”
Lastly, Carter stated a president ought to be compassionate.
Truthful, competent and compassionate. To Carter, it was the standards for a profitable presidency. These values are additionally what number of described Carter amid an outpouring of affection and help for the previous president when he entered hospice final 12 months.
That day in 1988 at WBEZ, Carter was joined by his spouse Rosalynn, who died final November on the age of 96. Not merely due to her personal love for fishing, which Carter touted, however as a result of the day earlier than the interview was the couple’s forty second marriage ceremony anniversary.
“We simply didn’t wish to be aside on that special occasion,” Carter advised Davis.
Davis factors out the couple had been co-authors of one other ebook that had come out the 12 months prior, in 1987, known as Every part to Acquire: Making the Many of the Remainder of Your Life.
“It’s the worst factor we ever did,” the previous president quipped. “It simply doesn’t work with two pretty headstrong individuals.”
E book writing apart, Carter advised Davis, “we’ve had an excellent life” since leaving Washington, D.C. Looking back, 1988 was only the start of all of the life the Carters have lived after departing the Oval Workplace.
“My overwhelming feeling in regards to the presidency is gratitude that I used to be capable of function a pacesetter of the best nation on Earth,” Carter advised WBEZ.
Then, the previous president graciously signed off with some help for the house staff, saying, “I’ve all the time cherished NPR.”
🎧 Take heed to your entire 1988 WBEZ interview with former President Jimmy Carter by enjoying the audio above.
Courtney Kueppers is a reporter at WBEZ. Justine Tobiasz is WBEZ’s media archivist.
