The official funeral of former President Jimmy Carter will be held on January 9 at the Washington National Cathedral, as part of a national day of mourning for the longest-living American president.
Walter Mondale, who served as Carter's vice president, had intended to deliver a eulogy for his former boss, but he died in 2021. Mondale's son plans to read the eulogy at the funeral, according to The New York Times.
Further details are emerging about how the country will pay tribute to the world-famous humanitarian, who died on Sunday, aged 100, at his home in Plains, Georgia.
There will also be a public service in Atlanta, Georgia, before Carter's burial in Plains, according to the Carter Center.
Following the American tradition of the deaths of important figures and leaders, President Joe Biden has ordered American flags on federal property to be flown at half-staff for 30 days. The time period will include the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
On Sunday, Biden also directed the State Department to begin preparing for Carter's state funeral in Washington. Traditionally, this would include a public parade at the U.S. Capitol where people would file through the building's rotunda to pay their respects, including lawmakers and ordinary Americans.
Carter will then be buried on his family estate, next to his wife, Rosalynn, who died at the age of 96 in November 2023.
Biden requested that January 9 be set aside to honor the thirty-ninth US President, James Earl Carter Jr.
“He embodied the best of America: a humble servant of God and people,” he said in a statement.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that although he disagreed with Carter philosophically, Carter was a “truly good man” and had his “highest respect.”
Other American leaders also issued statements praising Carter's life and work, including former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
Former President Barack Obama said that Carter “taught us all what it means to live a life of dignity, dignity, justice and service.”
Carter, a former Georgia peanut farmer turned Navy officer who became President of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981.
During his time in the White House, he championed the issues of world peace, the environment, and human rights, and was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
One of his most notable achievements in office was brokering a peace agreement in the Middle East between Egypt and Israel.
However, Carter's accomplishments as president were overshadowed by the collapsing American economy and what he called a “crisis of confidence.”
He served only one term in the White House, losing in a crushing defeat to Ronald Reagan in 1980.
Much of Carter's legacy was built from his post-presidential life.
He continued to work for world peace and met international leaders. He founded the Carter Center, a non-profit launched to help eradicate disease; In his 90s, he worked with Habitat for Humanity to help build and repair homes.
“We are deeply saddened by the death of President Carter, and our prayers are with the Carter family,” said Jonathan Rickford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International.
