Postal Service to Release Jimmy Carter Commemorative Forever Stamp on Oct. 1

The U.S. Postal Service will issue a new commemorative Forever stamp honoring former President Jimmy Carter on October 1 in Atlanta, coinciding with what would have been his 101st birthday.

The unveiling ceremony took place at the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park in Plains, Georgia, Carter’s hometown. Representatives from the Postal Service, the National Park Service, and the nonprofit Friends of Jimmy Carter organization joined together to present the stamp, which features a 1982 oil-on-linen portrait of Carter created in preparation for his official White House painting. The design was developed by USPS art director Ethel Kessler.

“It is difficult to consider a more fitting honoree than former President Jimmy Carter,” said Peter Pastre, the Postal Service’s vice president for government relations and public policy. “In his conduct and accomplishments as a former president, Jimmy Carter truly personified the best in America.”

Kim Carter Fuller, Carter’s niece and executive director of Friends of Jimmy Carter, said the honor reflects his deep legacy. “The Carter family and the Friends of Jimmy Carter are honored to take part in revealing the design for President Carter’s Forever stamp,” she said. “Today’s reveal gives the world an opportunity to share his legacy with others on a daily basis.”

Carter, a Georgia Democrat, served in the state Senate and as governor before becoming the 39th president in 1977. His policy record included deregulation of the transportation industry, the Panama Canal Treaty, major energy legislation, normalization of relations with China, and the Camp David Accords, which led to peace between Egypt and Israel. He also championed environmental protections, setting aside 57 million acres of wilderness through the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act and installing solar panels on the White House roof in 1979.

Though his presidency was overshadowed by economic troubles and the Iran hostage crisis, Carter distinguished himself in his post-White House years. In 1982, he and his wife Rosalynn partnered with Emory University to establish The Carter Center, which has since monitored elections, mediated conflicts, and fought tropical diseases around the globe. For this work, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

Beyond politics and activism, Carter authored more than 30 books and taught at Emory University for decades. He died in December 2024 at age 100, a year after Rosalynn, his wife of 77 years.

The Carter stamp will be issued as a Forever stamp, meaning it will always hold the value of current First-Class Mail 1-ounce postage.