The JCC

The president during the disco years was, of course, Jimmy Carter. Not too long ago I visited the Jimmy Carter Center here in Atlanta. I’d only been once before, about 20 years ago when I first moved here and had forgotten how well done the museum and gardens are.

Some highlights:
- The presidential highlights film. Gives and excellent overview of Carter’s presidency. Lots of neat 70s footage.
- The replica of the oval office. It’s got kind of a 70s vibe. I dug it.
- Jimmy Carter’s Nobel peace prize. It has a surprisingly raw look to it. You can tell it’s handmade. There’s also an original painting that goes with it. It’s cool that Willie Nelson went to Oslo and performed ‘Georgia On My Mind’ during the celebratory concert.
- Presidential controversy tidbits. I learned interesting things about Carter’s work with the Egypt/Israel peace negotiations during his presidency, which seems to be his proudest accomplishment. They have copies of Carter’s notes from the meetings on display. Also learned more about the controversy of the Panama Canal treaty, which Carter pushed through, that allowed Panama to take over ownership of the canal. There are also interesting displays about the energy crisis (sad that we’re still facing the same issues today) and women’s rights.
- Campaign material from the 1976 race. My grandparents took my cousin and me to Plains, GA when I was a kid just to see Jimmy Carter come out of church during the election. I got Lillian Carter’s autograph at a campaign station. Brought back nice memories.

If you’re in Atlanta, it’s worth a visit. Only takes a couple of hours. They were about to close down the museum for a re-design when I was there, so you might want to check the website before heading out: www.cartercenter.org