Renaissance Man

Painter - In the 1980s, President Carter took up a new hobby — oil painting. Using his home woodworking shop as a studio, he produced more than a hundred works over the years, capturing the landscapes and people of his beloved Plains. (Photos: The Carter Center)

Woodworker – To save money as a young naval officer, President Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, rented unfurnished apartments and crafted their furniture in hobby shops on Navy bases. When he left the White House, his staff and Cabinet officers gave him all the tools he needed to furnish a woodworking shop in Plains, where he built beautiful furniture that he often gave away as gifts or donated to Carter Center fundraisers. (Photos: The Carter Center)

Author – President Carter wrote 32 books, many of which are now in revised editions. These included the poetry book “Always a Reckoning”; the fiction work “The Hornet's Nest: A Novel of the Revolutionary War”; the children’s book “The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer,” illustrated by his daughter, Amy Carter; several memoirs, including “Keeping Faith”; and commentaries on global affairs, peacekeeping, and religion. (Photo: The Carter Center)

Winemaker - Using scuppernongs and muscadines—grape species native to the Southern United States—President Carter produced red and white wines using traditional family methods and a recipe passed down from his father and grandfather. The bottles are stamped with a presidential seal, and his private label features a sketch of the main street of Plains, his signature, and the words: Carter Farms; minted and bottled by Jimmy Carter in Plains, Georgia. (Photo: The Carter Center)

Fly Fisherman – President and Mrs. Carter’s passion for the outdoors and fishing took them to many streams around the world. Above, President Carter fly fishes in the North Georgia mountains in October 2012. (Photo: The Carter Center)

Home Builder - Beginning in 1984, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter volunteered one week each year with the nonprofit organization Habitat for Humanity. They worked alongside more than 100,000 other volunteers in 14 countries to build, renovate, and repair over 4,330 homes. (Photo: Habitat for Humanity)

Professor - President Carter was granted tenure at Emory University in June 2019 after nearly four decades as University Distinguished Professor. During that time, he visited campus frequently to share his insights on topics including history, political science, international relations, global health, and more. (Photo: Emory University)

Sunday School Teacher – After leaving the White House, President Carter regularly taught Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, often drawing more than 300 visitors to the small church, where he was a deacon. (Photo: The Carter Center)