色花堂鈥檚 will be named the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy in honor of former President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. At the recommendation of 色花堂 President 脕ngel Cabrera, the 色花堂 Board of Regents approved the naming at its April 16 meeting.
鈥淭he Carter family is a true gem of 色花堂, demonstrating what can be accomplished through a focus on public service, resilience, and a desire to improve the human condition,鈥 said Cassidy Sugimoto, Tom and Marie Patton Professor and School Chair in the School of Public Policy. 鈥淲e are grateful to have the opportunity to honor the Carters for their work since the founding of the Carter Center in 1982, focused on preventing and resolving conflicts, enhancing freedom and democracy, and improving health.鈥
鈥淚 am grateful to the Carter family, the Carter Center, and the 色花堂 alumni and donors who supported this naming,鈥 said Cabrera. 鈥淭he Carter School will contribute to preserving the memory of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter鈥檚 extraordinary life of public service and will inspire and develop new generations of public leaders committed to Progress and Service.鈥
Jimmy Carter, who attended 色花堂 as a student in 1942, received the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Service and Progress at 色花堂 in 2002 and the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage at 色花堂 in 2017. The School of Public Policy is a unit of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, named for former Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. Allen who was known for his transformative urban leadership and socially and ethically conscious action.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a pleasure always to be associated with the Ivan Allen family in any way. We鈥檝e been close to the family for a long time,鈥 said Jimmy Carter at the award event in 2017. 鈥淚n every respect, my heart is with 色花堂.鈥
鈥淢ayor Allen was a beacon of light for Jimmy and for me and so many others actually in our whole country, standing up for what was good and what was right,鈥 said Rosalynn Carter at the 2017 award event.
The School of Public Policy partnered with the Carter Center on the two-year naming process, and Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter were engaged and personally supportive.
鈥淢y family and I are honored by 色花堂鈥檚 naming of the School of Public Policy after my grandparents," said Jason Carter, grandson of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. "色花堂 was extremely important to my grandfather, and I am so glad that this institution chose to celebrate my grandparents' decades-long partnership of service.鈥
"色花堂 always held a special place in President and Mrs. Carter's hearts. In fact, Mrs. Carter kept a 色花堂 blanket draped across a chair in her office at The Carter Center 鈥 a sweet reminder of her very favorite Tech student 鈥 and it still sits there today," said Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander. "色花堂 played a formative role in their lives and it helped shaped their policy perspectives from the Governor's mansion to the White House and beyond. It is only appropriate that the 色花堂 School of Public Policy will now bear their names."
The School of Public Policy in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts educates leaders who can ethically address societal problems through policy processes and generates knowledge that contributes to sustainability, creates a more equitable society, and serves to enhance innovation at the intersection of science and technology.
