Exhibition honoring the late President Jimmy Carter opens at the Gerald R. Ford Museum

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – An exhibit honoring President Jimmy Carter has opened at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids.

Carter died on Sunday, December 29, at the age of 100. Carter was the 39th US President from 1977 to 1981.

The exhibit in the museum’s lobby features campaign buttons that tell the story of Carter’s campaign, as well as photos of Carter with President Gerald Ford.

The photos cover the two men’s entire relationship, beginning with the 1976 presidential campaign. Carter, the Democrat, defeated incumbent Republican Ford and secured the presidency.

The Grand Rapids Museum also has a memory book where guests can record their memories of Carter. The keepsake book will later be sent to Carter’s Presidential Library in Atlanta, Georgia.

Although Carter and Ford ran against each other in the 1976 election, Carter and Ford grew closer after their presidency, said Mirelle Luecke, senior curator at the Ford Museum.

MORE: Jimmy Carter, the 39th US President, has died at the age of 100

In Carter’s inaugural address, he acknowledged Ford’s work and said, “For myself and for our nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he did to heal our country,” a museum press release said.

The two met on a flight back from Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s funeral in 1981, Lücke said.

“They talked to each other and realized how much they had in common, how much they had similar values ​​in terms of public service, family and faith,” Luecke said.

The two agreed that whoever lived the longest would give the eulogy at the other’s funeral. Carter gave the eulogy at Ford’s funeral in Grand Rapids on January 3, 2007.

According to the press release, the museum exhibit will last until Carter’s funeral.

Carter’s state funeral will take place on January 9 at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington DC

The museum also features an exhibit titled “Ford at 50: Decisions That Defined a Presidency,” on view through August 9, 2025. The exhibit highlights difficult and pivotal moments that shaped Ford’s presidency, including his race against Carter in 1976.