The Plains High School Museum & Visitor Center

Built in 1921, the Plains 
High School housed
Grades 1 through 11.







In the 1940s, Georgia public school students graduated from High School at the end of eleventh grade.

School Principals

Miss Julia Coleman

Mr. Y.T. Sheffield

“Of all the teachers I have ever had, including those for my studies at four different colleges and universities, Miss Julia has been the one who has done most for me and made the most beneficial and lasting impression on my life.”

– President Jimmy Carter

A Classroom

Eric sits in the hallway &

watches an introductory

film.

The National Parks Service
runs the Museum & Visitor
Center on this site.

The Museum exhibits show

President Carter's roots in

Plains& his lifetime of work

on behalf of  Georgia, the

United States & the world.

The Bronze Edition of
the Nobel Peace Prize
President Carter won
in 2002.

The young

James Earl Carter, Jr.

Following graduation from
the US Naval Academy,
Ensign Jimmy Carter &
Rosalyn Smith married
on July 7, 1946.

Ensign Carter was assigned to Submarine Duty and manned several several posts on submarines in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  In 1951,  he was assigned to Admiral Hyman Rickover's team researching nuclear power plants for submarines.  During that time, Lieutenant Carter took graduate courses at Union College in Schenectady, New York.

Jimmy took over his father's

farms & the Carter Warehouse

 after his death in 1953.

In time, Jimmy added other activities to his life....  serving on Sumter County Boards,  as a State Senator from 1963 to 1965 and was elected Governor of Georgia in 1970.

Jimmy Carter was on  the

cover of Time Magazine

on May 31, 1971.

In 1973, Governor Jimmy Carter was a guest on What's My Line?  None of the panelists could guess his job.  

In January 1976, former

Governor Jimmy Carter

won the Iowa Caucuses,

starting his run for the

Presidency.

The Railroad Depot in Plains was used as the campaign headquarters.

Jimmy Carter, the Peanut Farmer

& Jimmy Carter, President of

the United States of America.

President Carter started his Presidency by pardoning Vietnam War draft evaders on January 21, 1977.

On the domestic front, the Carter Administration dealt high unemployment and interest rates.  In an effort to address skyrocketing fuel prices, the President pushed Congress to pass the Emergency Natural Gas Act, which allows the federal government to allocate interstate natural gas.  The creation of the Department of Energy ensures regulation of existing energy supplies and the funding of alternative sources of energy.  

On the international front, President Carter met with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1977.  He then brought the two leaders together at Camp David in September 1977 to mediate peace talks.  The results are the signing of the Camp David Peace Accords on September 17, 1978.  

In September 1977 President Carter and Panamanian leader Brigadier General Omar Torrijos Herrera signed two Panama Canal Treaties.  The first treaty declared the canal neutral and open to vessels of all nations. The second treaty provided for joint US-Panama control of the canal until December 31, 1999 when Panama took full control of the canal and its operations.  The treaties were ratified by the Senate in 1978.

Following up on President Nixon's China diplomacy, the Carter Administration established full diplomatic relations with The Peoples Republic of China on December 15, 1978.

In June 1979, President Carter signed the  second Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty to further reduce the number of nuclear arms in the United States and the Soviet Union.

Tensions had been rising in Iran.  The Shah's departure in January did nothing to stem the tide of discontent.  On November 4, 1979, the world watched in horror as repeated demonstrations in front of the US Embassy in Tehran turned into an assault and the taking of  90 American hostages.  An attempted rescue on April 25,1980 resulted in the deaths of eight US servicemen, when their helicopter collided with a transport plane.

The American economy lagged due to high unemployment and high interest rates.  The Energy Crisis and resulting spikes in gas prices was a serious hit to the consumer's wallet.  Every night there was an update on the Hostage Crisis in Iran.  The 1980 reelection campaign was a tough one.  President Carter lost to former California Governor Ronald Reagan.

On January 19, 1981, an agreement was signed by Iran and United States stating that Iran would free the hostages and the US would unfroze Iranian assets.  On January 20, 1981 the Iranian Hostages were freed and flown to Wiesbaden Air Base in Germany.  President Carter and Mrs. Carter left the White House on January 21, 1981.  

When the Carters left the

White House, they were

in their 50s.

They had a lot more living

to do & more people

to serve.

They started the Carter Center

in 1982 with the mission to

wage peace, fight disease

& build hope.

In 1984, Jimmy and Rosalynn became involved with Habitat for Humanity.  Each year, they spend one week building affordable housing for people in need.

Serving those around the world is not enough for Jimmy and Rosalynn.  They are members of Maranatha Baptist Church.  Jimmy and Rosalynn have served as deacon of the church.  Jimmy continues to teach Sunday School several times per year.

After Sunday School and Sunday Service, the former President and Mrs. Carter greet visitors and pose for pictures with them.  Eric and I had that honor earlier today.