Who was Jimmy Carter’s wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter?
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THE wife of late President Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter was the 39th First Lady of the United States. Rosalynn was considered one of her husband's closest advisors throughout his political career. Rosalynn was the First Lady of Georgia from 1971 to 1975.
When Jimmy Carter announced his plans to run for the White House, she campaigned alone on his behalf in 41 states. Rosalynn then became the First Lady of the United States in 1977. After she questioned her husband about a news story, he invited her to sit in on Cabinet meetings in order to remain fully informed about her position.
She became a model for future First Ladies to influence officials and the public by discussing an issue or giving it attention. In her duties as First Lady of Georgia, Rosalynn began focusing on mental health. She was appointed to the Governor's Commission to Improve Services for the Mentally and Emotionally Handicapped which allowed her to influence state laws on the issue.
Rosalynn was elected to the board of directors of the National Association of Mental Health where she continued to fight for the rights of the mentally ill. She joined Lady Bird Johnson and Betty Ford in supporting the unsuccessful campaign for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) at the Houston conference celebrating the International Women's Year in 1977.
She was honored by the National Organization for Women for her vigorous support. Rosalynn became the second First Lady to appear before Congress when she testified before a Senate committee on behalf of the Mental Health System Bill to change the nature of government assistance to the mentally ill.