President Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter to appear at Plains Presidents Day event

PLAINS — President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter will celebrate Presidents Day at 11 a.m. Feb. 19 at the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site.

This event, which will take place in the auditorium of Plains High School, 300 N. Bond St., is free and open to the public.

The Carters will share their thoughts on a trio of topics — the vision for the Department of Education when it was created; reflections on the Women’s Movement, and how the role of the president has been affected by technological advancement in information dissemination such as social media.

“We look forward to welcoming the Carters once again to Plains High School,” Barbara Judy, park superintendent, said. “This event will be a great opportunity for our visitors to learn about key topics from modern presidential history.”

Seating for the program begins at 10 a.m., on a first-come, first-served basis.

After the programs, the Carters will be available to sign their books. Each visitor may request that a maximum of two books be signed, and only books authored by President Carter and/or Rosalynn Carter will be signed.

The Eastern National in Plains High School store has a selection of Carter books available for purchase.

This event will be livestreamed for those who cannot join us in Plains. On the day of the event, link to: http://carter.internet2.edu/.

The Carters’ event Monday will be preceded by a 1:30 p.m. Sunday, also at Plains High, at which Dr. Laurence Cook will speak on “Our Conservation Presidents.” This event also is free and open to the public.

Cook is a lifelong collector of presidential memorabilia and a presidential historian who specializes in little known facts and the personal side of the presidency. He has lectured on presidential topics frequently, including at annual presentations at the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site.

“We welcome Dr. Cook back to the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site,” Judy said. “His presentations are noteworthy for their warmth, enthusiasm and insight into the characters of our former presidents.”

Cook and his wife, Diane, founded the Plains Helping Plains initiative, dedicated to projects that benefit Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s hometown of Plains. Both Cooks became honorary citizens of Plains in 2011.

Seating for Cook’s program will begin at 1 p.m., also on a first-come, first-served basis.

During his talk, Cook will display museum-quality memorabilia from his personal collection. After the lecture, he will be available to sign copies of his book “Presidential Coincidences, Amazing Facts and Collectibles,” which also is available for purchase in the Eastern National store.

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