Rosalynn Carter
August 1927–November 2023
Robert Templeton, Iowa and Connecticut, USA
pastels, 1977
photo ©The National Gallery
The late Mrs. Carter lived a full and interesting life, and she had more influence and impact than some people may realize. I’ll always see her as a model of dignity, strength, and compassion. She was a true “steel magnolia,” and I love that her Secret Service tag was “Dancer.”
I’ve always had interest in the First Ladies of the United States. The photo below was taken by Barbara Kinney in 1994, shortly before First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis died. It’s amazing to recall this many First Ladies were so alive and vibrant in the same time period.
First Ladies Nancy Reagan, Ladybird Johnson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rosalynn Carter, Betty Ford, and Barbara Bush.