Rosalyn Carter, the former First Lady of the United States, has dedicated her life to building a more caring society. She is widely recognized as the nation’s foremost advocate for mental health and has broken new ground in this field throughout her career.
As First Lady, Carter fostered programs and services for people with mental illness, senior citizens, women, and underserved groups. Her leadership continued through the Carter Center in Atlanta, where she was actively committed to making a difference in the lives of many. As emissaries of the Center, she traveled the world on non-political campaigns to eradicate Guinea worm and other neglected tropical diseases, increase agricultural production in Africa, monitor elections in emerging democracies, call for greater respect for international human rights standards, and resolve conflicts. Her efforts have had a profound impact on communities around the world.
In addition to her work with the Carter Center, Mrs. Carter founded the Mental Health Program to combat stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness and promote improved mental health care in the United States and abroad. She also chaired the Mental Health Task Force and hosted an annual forum of national mental health leaders. To further encourage accurate reporting on mental health issues, Mrs. Carter established the Rosalyn Carter Fellowships in Mental Health Journalism.
Through her dedicated work, Rosalyn Carter has touched the lives of people around the world forever changing and improving the way mental health is viewed and treated. Her lifetime of service left a lasting impact on countless individuals and communities.