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Photos: Former President Carter redefined post-presidency role

By Nicole Werbeck,
Giulia Heyward
Published December 30, 2024 at 4:32 PM EST

After leaving the Oval Office with dismal approval ratings, former President Jimmy Carter dedicated the rest of his life to public service.

Carter devoted himself to improving the health of people around the world, promoting democracy and resolving global conflicts.

In the decades that followed, Carter won the approval of the American public by rebuilding homes with Habitat for Humanity and establishing the nonprofit Carter Center, which among other work monitors international elections. Carter's additional work, including his time as a professor at Emory University, and the books he published on democracy and humanitarianism transformed him into a symbol of peace.

Carter also took on the awful Guinea worm when no one else would — and he triumphed.

We take a look through photos at some of his post-presidency achievements.

Copyright 2024 NPR

June 18, 1994: North Korean border guard showing a weary-looking former US President Jimmy Carter (C) and his wife Rosalynn (L), the way to the South Korea side of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) as they leave North Korea through Panmunjom border village after Carter's controversial meeting with North Korean President Kim Il-sung.
Choo Youn-Kong / AFP via Getty Images
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AFP via Getty Images
June 18, 1994: North Korean border guard showing a weary-looking former US President Jimmy Carter (C) and his wife Rosalynn (L), the way to the South Korea side of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) as they leave North Korea through Panmunjom border village after Carter's controversial meeting with North Korean President Kim Il-sung.
January 20, 1996: Former US President Jimmy Carter checks a ballot box in the Daheisha refugee camp in the West Bank. Carter was heading a international delegation to observe the Palestinian elections.
Yoav Lemmer / AFP via Getty Images
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AFP via Getty Images
January 20, 1996: Former US President Jimmy Carter checks a ballot box in the Daheisha refugee camp in the West Bank. Carter was heading a international delegation to observe the Palestinian elections.
May 14, 2002: Cuban President Fidel Castro watches former US President Jimmy Carter throw a baseball prior to the start of a a friendly baseball match between two Cuban teams in Havana, Cuba. At the time, Carter was the first U.S. President, in or out of office, to visit communist Cuba since the 1959 revolution that put Castro in power.
Sven Creutzmann / Getty Images
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Getty Images
May 14, 2002: Cuban President Fidel Castro watches former US President Jimmy Carter throw a baseball prior to the start of a a friendly baseball match between two Cuban teams in Havana, Cuba. At the time, Carter was the first U.S. President, in or out of office, to visit communist Cuba since the 1959 revolution that put Castro in power.
December 10, 2002: Nobel Peace Prize winner, former US President Jimmy Carter (2ndL) and his wife Rosalynn (L), greet wellwishers during a torchlight procession, from the balcony of Grand Hotel in downtown Oslo, prior the Norwegian Nobel Committee's banquet.
Erland Aas / AFP via Getty Images
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AFP via Getty Images
December 10, 2002: Nobel Peace Prize winner, former US President Jimmy Carter (2ndL) and his wife Rosalynn (L), greet wellwishers during a torchlight procession, from the balcony of Grand Hotel in downtown Oslo, prior the Norwegian Nobel Committee's banquet.
September 5, 2001: This file photo shows former US president Jimmy Carter (L) greeting newly elected local officials at the village of Quanwang in Zhouzhuang town. Carter had urged China to hold direct democratic elections at township and county levels and vowed to bring up the issue with Chinese President Jiang Zemin.
/ AFP via Getty Images
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AFP via Getty Images
September 5, 2001: This file photo shows former US president Jimmy Carter (L) greeting newly elected local officials at the village of Quanwang in Zhouzhuang town. Carter had urged China to hold direct democratic elections at township and county levels and vowed to bring up the issue with Chinese President Jiang Zemin.
July 5, 2004: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (R) watches election workers during a visit to a polling station on July 5,2004. Carter is in the country assisting election observers from the Carter center as well as observing the election process. Indonesians voted today to choose a candidate for the first time over a party. (Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)
Paula Bronstein / Getty Images
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Getty Images
July 5, 2004: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (R) watches election workers during a visit to a polling station on July 5,2004. Carter is in the country assisting election observers from the Carter center as well as observing the election process. Indonesians voted today to choose a candidate for the first time over a party. (Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)
December 2, 2004: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (L) takes notes while listening to a translater during his polling station observation visit in Maputo, Mozambique. Mozambique's long-time President Joaquim Chissano expressed surprise at the abysmal turn-out in elections to choose his successor, and blamed the poor showing on widespread illiteracy and ignorance of political systems.
Marco Longari / AFP via Getty Images
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AFP via Getty Images
December 2, 2004: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (L) takes notes while listening to a translater during his polling station observation visit in Maputo, Mozambique. Mozambique's long-time President Joaquim Chissano expressed surprise at the abysmal turn-out in elections to choose his successor, and blamed the poor showing on widespread illiteracy and ignorance of political systems.
October 11, 2005: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter exits a polling site in Monrovia, Liberia. The Carter Center, founded by Carter to promote peace initiatives and health issues worldwide, is in Liberia to monitor the elections along with the National Democratic Institute.
Chris Hondros / Getty Images
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Getty Images
October 11, 2005: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter exits a polling site in Monrovia, Liberia. The Carter Center, founded by Carter to promote peace initiatives and health issues worldwide, is in Liberia to monitor the elections along with the National Democratic Institute.
April 5, 2013: Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter visit the Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon. Carter headed to Myanmar and Nepal, hoping to find ways to encourage democracy in the two Asian nations, which are undergoing political transitions.
Soe Than Win / AFP via Getty Images
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AFP via Getty Images
April 5, 2013: Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter visit the Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon. Carter headed to Myanmar and Nepal, hoping to find ways to encourage democracy in the two Asian nations, which are undergoing political transitions.
November 17, 2013: Former president of the United States, Jimmy Carter (C) speaks to the media after meeting with Nepal's Chairman of the Interim Election Government, Khilraj Regmi (R) in Kathmandu on November 17, 2013. Carter will be in Nepal for six days and will observe the Constituent Assembly election scheduled for November 19.
Prakash Mathema / AFP via Getty Images
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AFP via Getty Images
November 17, 2013: Former president of the United States, Jimmy Carter (C) speaks to the media after meeting with Nepal's Chairman of the Interim Election Government, Khilraj Regmi (R) in Kathmandu on November 17, 2013. Carter will be in Nepal for six days and will observe the Constituent Assembly election scheduled for November 19.
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Nicole Werbeck
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Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a weekend reporter for Digital News, based out of New York. She previously covered education and other national news as a reporting fellow at The New York Times and as the national education reporter at Capital B News. She interned for POLITICO, where she covered criminal justice reform in Florida, and CNN, as a writer for the trends & culture team. Her work has also been published in The Atlantic, HuffPost and The New Republic.