The Love Story of Jimmy Carter and Wife Rosalynn Carter Spanning 8 Decades
The Carters began their married life at the Naval base in Norfolk, Va., where Jimmy had frequent assignments and Rosalynn learned homemaking. Their first child, John William “Jack” Carter, was born on July 3, 1947, and they celebrated their first anniversary at the hospital as a family of three. The next year, Jimmy attended submarine school in New London, Conn., allowing him to be home each night with his family.
Their second child, James Earl “Chip” Carter III, was born on April 12, 1950, while they were in Hawaii. They then moved to San Diego, Calif., before returning to New London for the birth of their third child, Donnel Jeffrey “Jeff” Carter, on August 18, 1952. The family later settled in Schenectady, N.Y., where Jimmy studied nuclear power at Union College.
Rosalynn had envisioned being a Navy wife, traveling the world with her husband. While their journey did take them to various cities, it was not exactly as she had expected.