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Hoover Museum marks death of Pres. Jimmy Carter
by Gregory R. Norfleet · News · January 08, 2025
To mark the death of President Jimmy Carter, the Herbert Hoover Library and Museum lowered its flags to half-mast on Dec. 29.
The flags will remain at half-mast until Carter, who died on Dec. 29 at 100 years old, is laid to rest on Jan. 9. A National Day of Mourning will take place Jan. 9, according to President Joe Biden.
The museum dedicated to the 31st president also placed a condolence book in its lobby for visitors to sign for the 39th president. The book will remain in the lobby until Jan. 12 and will be sent to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, according to Hoover spokesman Aaron Scheinblum.
“President Jimmy Carter was an extraordinary leader, remembered for his dedication to democracy, health and human rights, and peace around the world. We are deeply saddened by his passing,” read a Hoover Museum message posted on Dec. 30. “The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum sends our sincere condolences to the Carter Family, the staff at the Carter Center, and the staff at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum.”
The post includes three photos of Carter.
“Thank you so much for your thoughts and kind words!” wrote the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library’s X account in response.
While Carter never visited the Hoover Museum, the two did have some similarities. Carter and Hoover both studied engineering; Hoover studied mining while Carter studied nuclear power.
In 1998, Carter won the Hoover Medal, an annual engineering prize for “outstanding extra-curricular services by engineers to humanity.” The award is named after the 31st president, who was the first recipient, and presented by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Spencer Howard, an archivist at the Hoover Museum, said some historians see both Carter and Hoover as being highly educated. However, arguing that Hoover and Carter both struggled against the Washington machine “was a bit of a stretch.”
Howard said Hoover was much more familiar with Washington politics from his work as the U.S. Secretary of Commerce from 1921 through 1928, before being elected president in 1928. Conversely, Carter served a term as a state senator and a term as the Georgia governor before getting into D.C. politics.
“Carter was a governor with no Washington experience,” Howard said.
However, both were one-term presidents who lost their re-election bids. Hoover lost re-election in 1932 and Carter did the same in 1980, the first to run for re-election and fail in that 48-year span.
After serving as president, both Hoover and Carter spent time in humanitarian work. Hoover was known for organizing relief efforts after emergencies; Carter was known for finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts and for advocating for human rights.
“Both were blamed for things over which they had no control ... or were not entirely their fault,” the archivist said.
Howard noted that both saw “things fall apart” while they were in office. For Hoover, that was the beginning of the Great Depression; for Carter, it was growing inflation, his handling of Iranian hostage situation, and the Energy Crisis of 1979.
In 2012, Carter passed Hoover as the longest-retired president.
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