Today the Evans School joins in the nation in mourning the passing of former President Jimmy Carter. During his more than eight decades of public service, Carter served in the Navy, as a school board member, a state senator, governor, president, and as an advocate for democracy, fair elections, and expanded human rights.
25 years ago this month, Carter visited the University of Washington as part of the Evans School’s Progress Project. The public speaker series focused on themes of leadership and public service in the new millennium and was part of a year long effort to celebrate the legacy of Daniel J. Evans – who passed away shortly before Carter – and the naming of the Evans School in his honor. In his speech, Carter emphasized the need for people to take care of each other and address the growing disparity between rich and poor.
“President Carter brought his ethical compass to the world and was a role model of how intentional choice about how to respond to difficult times matters. In the wake of the Watergate scandal, Carter stewarded the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 which helped to bring in new professional skills to policy implementation in federal agencies, an approach likely to be challenged by the Trump Administration’s Schedule F Executive Order in the first days of the new administration,” shared Dean Jodi Sandfort.