MEMORIAL RESOLUTION FOR BOARD MEETING OF JANUARY 9, 2025
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MEMORIAL RESOLUTION sponsored by the Board of Commissioners celebrating the life of the 39th President of the United States President Jimmy Carter
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WHEREAS, James E. Carter Jr., known as Jimmy, was born and raised in southwest Georgia before joining the United States Navy where he became a submariner, eventually being chosen for the nuclear submarine program at the rank of lieutenant; and
WHEREAS, Carter married Rosalynn in 1946, and when his father died seven years later, Carter resigned his naval commission and returned with his family to Georgia, where he took over the family farms, also opening a farm supply company in his hometown; and
WHEREAS, Carter began serving the community through county boards supervising education, the hospital authority, and the library, before being elected to the Georgia Senate in 1962. In 1971, he became Georgia’s 76th governor, and three years later he announced his candidacy for President of the United States; and
WHEREAS, Carter served as President from 1977 to 1981, during which he created the Department of Education and the Department of Energy, ratified the Panama Canal treaties; and established full diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, among other achievements; and
WHEREAS, known as the first “green President,” Carter spent his political career emphasizing environmental issues, including pushing the nation toward renewable energy and leading the largest single expansion of protected lands in American history, doubling the size of the national parks system by protecting millions of acres of wilderness in Alaska, including 25 rivers and their crucial aquatic ecosystems. Of particular note, Carter signed into law the Clean Water Act of 1977, strengthening the nation’s water pollution control program; and
WHEREAS, after leaving the office of President, Carter continued to be active within various causes, establishing The Carter Center with Rosalynn, which addresses national and international issues of public policy in efforts to resolve conflict and protect human rights. Carter was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, in recognition of his decades of work to promote peaceful conflict resolution and advance human rights. In addition, up until age 96, Carter volunteered one week every year for Habitat for Humanity; and
WHEREAS, Carter passed away on December 29, 2024, leaving behind a legacy of public service emphasizing his philosophy that government should be competent and compassionate, and responsive to the American people and their expectations; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of today as the National Day of Mourning in acknowledgement of Carter’s funeral services, we remember the incomparable impact that former President Carter had on conservation efforts; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, on behalf of ourselves and our staff, do hereby honor the memory of the 39th President of the United States President Jimmy Carter.; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution be spread upon the permanent Record of Proceedings of the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
Dated: January 9, 2025