ATLANTA — Jimmy Carter was an outsider when he announced his run for president and the road ahead was not always easy.
The then-governor of Georgia was a fresh new politician from the South and retired Channel 2 anchor John Pruitt covered Carter’s rise in national politics.
“He believed he could do something and set about to do it. He was the most determined man I ever met,” Pruitt said.
As Carter became president in 1977 with the famous walk to the White House.
“We got into the limo, rode about 100 yards then got out and walked. And the reaction of the crowd still is the most vivid memory I have. A lot of tears, excitement,” Carter said.
There were successes with the Camp David Accords and stresses as well throughout his presidency.
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“He faced challenging times, high inflation, interest rates, high gas prices,” Pruitt said.
Then Carter’s final year in office was defined by the Iran Hostage Crisis.
“Following the defeat to Ronald Reagan the Carters were frankly devastated. How can we now parlay our experiences to something that’s good? The result was the Carter Presidential Center,” Pruitt said.
The Carter Center served as a springboard to good deeds around the world, eventually leading to an incredible honor for Carter: the Nobel Peace Prize.
Pruitt was there in Norway for the ceremony in 2002.
“Oslo was incredible. He was celebrated, he was feted, he was serenaded by Norwegian choirs in that bitter, bitter cold in the Norwegian winter. It was something to behold. It was a great moment for him -- an achievement,” Pruitt said.
Carter was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize for his work finding solutions to internal conflicts and advancing democracy and human rights.
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