James Earl Carter graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946 with distinction. When the nuclear-powered submarines came on-line, Carter was anxious to join the program and served duty with the Naval Reactors Branch. On 12 Dec. 1952, an accident with the NRX reactor at Canada’s Chalk River Laboratories caused a partial meltdown, ruining the reactor’s core. Carter was ordered to lead a U.S. maintenance crew to assist in the reactor’s shutdown. To limit exposure to radioactivity each team member donned protective gear and was lowered individually into the reactor for 90 seconds at a time until shutdown was complete. The Seawolf-class submarine Jimmy Carter (SSN-23) is named for the 39th president.

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On December 12, 1974, Carter announced his candidacy for President of the United States. He won his party’s nomination on the first ballot at the 1976 Democratic National Convention, was elected president on November 2, 1976, and was then inaugurated on January 20, 1977.

The Presidential Library system comprises 14 Presidential Libraries overseen by the Office of Presidential Libraries in the National Archives and Records Administration. The Presidential Libraries Act was passed in 1955 and amended in 1986. Through archives, museums, and public programs, Presidential Libraries continue to preserve the documents and artifacts of our Presidents, helping us learn about our nation and our democracy.