The young midshipman needed a date one evening while he was home from the U.S. Naval Academy, so his younger sister paired him with a family friend who already had a crush.
Nearly eight decades later, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter are still together in the same tiny town where they were born, grew up and had that first outing. In between, they鈥檝e traveled the world as Naval officer and military spouse, American president and first lady, and finally as human rights and public health ambassadors.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a full partnership,鈥� the 39th president told The Associated Press during a joint interview ahead of the couple鈥檚 75th wedding anniversary on July 7.
It will be another milestone for the longest-married presidential couple in American history. At 96, Carter also is the longest-lived of the 45 men who鈥檝e served as chief executive. Yet even having reached that pinnacle, Carter has said often since leaving the Oval Office in 1981 that the most important decision he ever made wasn鈥檛 as head of state, commander in chief or even executive officer of a nuclear submarine in the early years of the Cold War.
Rather, it was falling for Eleanor Rosalynn Smith in 1945 and marrying her the following summer. 鈥淢y biggest secret is to marry the right person if you want to have a long-lasting marriage,鈥� Carter said.
The nonagenarians 鈥� she鈥檚 now 93 鈥� offered a few other tips for an enduring bond.
鈥淓very day there needs to be reconciliation and communication between the two spouses,鈥� the former president said, explaining that he and Rosalynn, both devout Christians, read the Bible together aloud each night 鈥� something they鈥檝e done for years, even when separated by their travels. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 go to sleep with some remaining differences between us,鈥� he said.
Rosalynn Carter noted the importance of finding common interests. Even now, she said, 鈥淛immy and I are always looking for things to do together.鈥� Still, she emphasized a caveat: 鈥淓ach (person) should have some space. That鈥檚 really important.鈥�
As first lady, Rosalynn Carter carved her own identity even as she supported her husband. Building on her predecessors鈥� efforts to highlight special causes, she went to work in her own East Wing office, setting a standard for first ladies by working alongside her husband鈥檚 West Wing aides on key legislation, especially dealing with health care and mental health. She continued that focus as the couple built the Carter Center in Atlanta after their White House years.
Certainly, a 75-year marriage hasn鈥檛 been seamless, the couple acknowledges.
Jimmy was initially on course to be an admiral, not commander in chief, and Rosalynn appreciated their life beyond Plains, home to fewer than a thousand people, then and now. But when James Earl Carter Sr. became sick and died in 1953, his son cut short his Navy career and decided the family would return to rural Georgia.
The former president has written that in retrospect he finds it inconceivable not to discuss such a life-changing decision with his wife, who was unhappy with the move. Now, they see the blossoming of their partnership in that challenging juncture.
鈥淲e developed a partnership when we were working in the farm supply business, and it continued when Jimmy got involved in politics,鈥� Rosalynn Carter told AP. 鈥淚 knew more on paper about the business than he did. He would take my advice about things,鈥� she added, drawing a laugh and affirmation from her husband.
Jimmy Carter also didn鈥檛 seek Rosalynn鈥檚 permission to make his first bid for office a few years later. In that instance, she was on board anyway.
鈥淢y wife is much more political,鈥� he said.
She interjected: 鈥淚 love it. I love campaigning. I had the best time. I was in all the states in the United States. I campaigned solid every day the last time we ran.鈥�
That didn鈥檛 help avoid a rout by Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980. But it further cemented Rosalynn 鈥� who鈥檇 originally given up her own opportunity to go to college when she married at age 18 鈥� as equal partner to the leader of the free world. And it marked Jimmy Carter鈥檚 evolution as a spouse.
He鈥檚 since been an outspoken voice for women鈥檚 rights, including within Christianity. Carter left the Southern Baptist Convention in 2006, denouncing what he called 鈥渞igid鈥� views that 鈥渟ubjugated鈥� women in the church and in their own marriages.
The former president ratified those views again, as well as his support for the church recognizing same-sex marriage. 鈥淚t will continue to be divisive,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut the church is evolving.鈥�
The Carters plan to celebrate their own marriage milestone a few days after their anniversary with a party in Plains. Decades removed from inaugural balls and state dinners, the most famous residents of Sumter County said they have mixed feelings about the spotlight.
鈥淲e have too many people invited,鈥� Rosalynn Carter said with a laugh. 鈥淚鈥檓 actually praying for some turndowns and regrets.鈥�