Remembering Jimmy Carter and his New York legacy

Jimmy Carter, who spent his post-presidency championing a series of philanthropic endeavors, including building one of his first homes for Habitat for Humanity in New York City, died on Sunday at age 100. He lived longer than any other American president.

While the 39th president spent most of his life in his hometown: Plains, Georgia, Carter’s presence has long been felt in New York.  Both of the Democratic National Conventions during his tenure and presidential run were held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. His now famous surprise trip to the South Bronx was plastered across the front page of The New York Times in 1977 – a visit that took him through streets of burned tenements and ultimately catapulted Charlotte Street to urban notoriety in the years to come. His signing of the Refugee Act of 1980 overhauled the legal framework for how the U.S. managed its refugee program, opening the door for tens of thousands more people to be admitted into the U.S. annually – many of whom went on to forge a life in New York City.

Carter survived multiple health crises in recent years, including a bout with melanoma skin cancer that spread to his liver and brain, and several dangerous falls. Last year, he decided to spend his remaining time in hospice care at home with his family in Georgia. Carter’s tenure as president spanned 1977 to 1981, but he’s perhaps most fondly known for his post-presidency. To commemorate his life, City & State spoke with some New Yorkers who knew Carter to highlight several of the biggest impacts he had on the state.

The carpenter

Perhaps one of the most enduring symbols of Carter’s presence in New York City can be found today in the East Village. Nestled on East 6th Street, there’s a sleepy six-story, red-brick building known as Mascot Flats – a far cry from the burned out hulk it had been several decades ago. Back then, the battered tenement was one of the last buildings standing amid blocks of abandoned, run-down structures in what was then considered the Lower East Side. 

“Well, I can see you’ve got some work to do,” Carter, who came on the scene in 1984, said during his first visit, according to The New York Times. “You” quickly became “we.” Carter ended up leading a group of volunteers to help Habitat for Humanity convert the building into apartments. Carter himself pitched in as a carpenter, living alongside other workers. The former president and his wife Rosalynn went on to build thousands of homes through the Carter Work Project’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity, several of which are in New York City.

“His leadership and commitment to decent, affordable housing stems from his deeply rooted faith and love for all,” Karen Haycox, former CEO of Habitat for Humanity New York City and Westchester County, said in a statement last year after Carter announced he was going into Hospice care.

The humanitarian

Former New York Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman came to know Carter and his wife well while she served in Congress 1973 to 1981. She recalls him being a “great humanitarian,” particularly in regards to women’s equality and helping further open U.S. doors to refugees. Holtzman worked closely with Carter on the Equal Rights Amendment extension and the Refugee Act of 1980, which she sponsored. His work to underscore the importance of human rights in U.S. foreign policy is something that resonates with New Yorkers in particular, she said. 

“We're a very diverse city. We're made up of immigrants from all over the world and refugees from all over the world …  That's something that all of us in New York should be responding to, in terms of Carter's record, because that's what makes us great,” Holtzman said last year. “We live together here in peace, when people are fighting each other in other parts of the world.” 

She also praised him for his adamant support of the Equal Rights Amendment. With the deadline looming for every state to approve it in order for the measure to become part of the Constitution, Carter extended the deadline to 1982. The measure was not successful, but it cemented Carter’s legacy on women’s rights. He also signed a proclamation in honor of Women’s Equality Day in 1977.

A leader abroad 

Former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr’s father served as Secretary of State under Carter from 1977 to 1980. While Vance doesn’t remember too much about the man that his father worked for, he does have some fond recollections. He said Carter championed human rights globally in a way that prior presidents had never really attempted. 

“I always felt the president was thoughtful, highly intelligent (he was a nuclear engineer, after all) and a man grounded by his faith and uncommon decency,” Vance said last year. “History will judge him more kindly than it did in the years of his presidency.”