Former President Jimmy Carter has achieved one of his long-term goals at the age of 94.
Over the years, Carter has joked about not receiving tenure despite teaching students in every school of Emory University and written multiple books and articles. On Monday, the Atlanta-based university announced that after 37 years of teaching, the 39th president is becoming a tenured faculty member.
“Having President Carter as part of the Emory experience has a profound impact on our students,” said Dwight McBride, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “As a servant leader, he models inclusivity and empathy inside the classroom and beyond, and inspires our faculty and students to approach their research, teaching, and studies with a tireless sense of purpose.”
Carter, who was born in Georgia and still lives there with his wife Rosalynn, is not only the first former president to be given tenure at Emory, but also the first Nobel Prize winner.
“When I left the White House, I decided not to join any corporate boards and not to take part in commercial ventures. I’ve long had an ambition to teach,” Carter said in a statement. He now holds tenure at four schools: Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Oxford College, Candler School of Theology, and Rollins School of Public Health.
