James Earle (Jimmy) Carter, Jr. was born in Plains, Georgia on 1October 1924, to Lillian Gordy and James Earle Carter. Carter grew up in a rural atmosphere and attended public schools. Graduating from Plains High School in 1941, he attended Georgia Southwestern College in Americus, Georgia. After a year there, Carter transferred to Georgia Institute of Technology to study mathematics for a year in order to qualify for the U.S. Naval Academy. In 1943, Carter received an appointment to the academy and became a member of the Class of 1947.

President Jimmy Carter once wrote about his interview with Rickover when he was still a young junior officer recently selected for the nuclear program.

Rickover asked him about his class standing when he graduated from the Naval Academy. Carter told the Admiral that he had graduated 59th out of 120 graduates in 1946. Rickover then asked why he had not graduated number one in his class. Carter thought about it for a little while and replied that he supposed he had just not tried hard enough.

Rickover asked. "Why not?"

Carter was speechless. He could not come up with a sensible answer to this logical question. A young kid from Plains, Georgia was given the opportunity to go to the Naval Academy, no doubt the biggest opportunity of his life up until that time, and once there he didn't give it his best effort!

Carter didn't know what to say next, but he made a decision that would change his life forever. Never again would he shirk a great opportunity.

Many years later President Carter wrote a book titled, "Why not the best?" I bet you can guess how he came up with that title.

Come to think of it, I wonder what Rickover's standing was in his graduating class at the Academy. I bet he wasn't number one either.

05 JUN 1946 - 8 AUG 1946 Commisioned Ensign, USN. Routine post-USNA graduation assignments- indoctrinational training with service type aircraft - leave and transit to first duty station.

8 AUG 1946 - 23 JUL 1947 Duty aboard USS Wyoming (E-AG17). Billets Held: Deck Division Officer, Radar Officer, CIC Officer Qualifications: OOD in Port, JOOD underway. Remarks: Detached from Wyoming at ship's decommissioning.

23 JUL 1947 - 14 JUN 1948 Duty aboard USS Mississippi (E-AG128). Billets Held: Training and Education Officer

Qualifications: OOD underway and in port, CIC watch Officer Remarks: During this tour of duty, Carter was a candidate for a Rhodes Scholarship.

14 JUN 1948 - 17 DEC 1948 Duty under instruction at the Officer's course, USN Submarine School, Submarine Base, New London

17 DEC 1948 - 01 FEB 1951 Duty aboard USS Pomfret (SS-391) Billets Held: Communications Officer, Electronics Officer, Sonar Officer, Gunnery Officer, First Lieutenant, Electrical Officer, Supply Officer Qualifications: 4 Feb 1950 Qualified in Submarine

05 JUNE 1949 Promoted to Lieutenant (j.g.)

01 FEB 1951 - 10 NOV 1951 Duty with Shipbuilding and Naval Inspector of Ordnance, Groton, CT as prospective Engineering Officer of the USS K-1 during precommissioning fitting out of the submarine.

10 NOV 1951 - 16 OCT 1952 Duty aboard USS K-1(SSK-1) Billets Held: Executive Officer, Engineering Officer, Operations Officer, Gunnery Officer, Electronics Repair Officer Qualifications: Qualified for Command of Submarine

The K1 submarine was equipped with very advanced SONAR and was designed to hunt out and kill other submarines

01 JUNE 1952 Promoted to Lieutenant

16 OCT 1952 - 08 OCT 1953 Duty with US Atomic Energy Commission (Division of Reactor Development, Schenectady Operations Office)

3 NOV 1953 to 1 MAR 1953 Served on temporary duty with Naval Reactors Branch, US Atomic Energy Commission, Washington, D.C. assisting in the design and development of nuclear propulsion plants for naval vessels. From 1 MAR 1953 to 8 OCT 1953 he was under instruction to become an engineering officer for a nuclear power plant. He also assisted in setting up on-the-job training for the enlisted men being instructed in nuclear propulsion for the USS Seawolf (SSM 575).

9 OCT 1953 Honorably discharged at Headquarters, 3rd Naval District. The discharge was at Carter's request. Total service:7 years, 4 months, 8 days

10 OCT 1953 Appointed to US Naval Reserve and placed on inactive duty.

7 DEC 1961 Transferred to retired reserve with rank of Lieutenant at his own request, but without pay and allowances in accordance with Title X, U.S.C. section 1376 (a).

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