Whereas Rosalynn Carter was born Eleanor Rosalynn Smith on August 18, 1927, in Plains, Georgia; Whereas, as a student, Rosalynn Carter excelled in her academic studies, graduating as valedictorian of her class at Plains High School and from Georgia Southwestern College in 1946; Whereas Rosalynn Carter married James Earl Jimmy Carter Jr. on July 7, 1946; Whereas Rosalynn Carter was married to President Jimmy Carter for 77 years, and together they had 3 sons, 1 daughter, 12 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren; Whereas Rosalynn Carter served as First Lady of the State of Georgia from 1971 to 1975 and First Lady of the United States from 1977 to 1981; Whereas, as First Lady of the United States, Rosalynn Carter served as a committed partner to President Carter throughout his presidency, expanding the role of First Lady, sitting in on cabinet meetings, and representing the Carter administration on foreign trips; Whereas, as First Lady of the United States, Rosalynn Carter advanced mental health care and services for aging individuals, pushing for the establishment of community mental health centers and becoming the second First Lady to testify before Congress when she advocated for the passage of the Mental Health Systems Act of 1980 ( Public Law 96–398 ); Whereas Rosalynn Carter and President Carter, after leaving the White House, founded The Carter Center with the mission of resolving conflict, eradicating disease, and promoting democracy worldwide; Whereas Rosalynn Carter remained devoted to her mental health work, establishing The Carter Center’s Mental Health Program to reduce the stigma around mental illness and to improve insurance coverage of mental health care; Whereas, in 1987, Rosalynn Carter founded the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, in Americus, Georgia, with the mission of providing training and support for family caregivers, recognizing that everyone will be a caregiver or need a caregiver at some point in their lives