Jimmy Carter (b. 1924)
On January 2, 1979, days before the Shah of Iran (1941–1979) abdicated, hundreds of Iranian students stormed the gates of his sister’s Beverly Hills mansion to protest a visit by the Shah’s ailing mother. President Jimmy Carter, whose administration pledged to deport Iranian visitors found guilty of violence, responds here to a telegram of concern from Bob Hope. Although Carter’s reply was curt, he later remarked, “In my opinion, Bob Hope is one of America’s greatest heroes.” After leaving office, Carter sent Hope a letter of regret at being unable to join Presidents Reagan (1911–2004) and Ford (1913–2006) at the opening of the Bob Hope Cultural Center in Palm Desert, California. As president, Carter hosted a White House reception to celebrate the comedian’s seventy-fifth birthday. After Carter’s presidency, Hope accepted his invitation to help build a house to support Habitat for Humanity. Carter later remarked, “In my opinion, Bob Hope is one of America’s greatest heroes.”
On January 2, 1979, days before the Shah of Iran (1941–1979) abdicated, hundreds of Iranian students stormed the gates of his sister’s Beverly Hills mansion to protest a visit by the Shah’s ailing mother. President Jimmy Carter, whose administration pledged to deport Iranian visitors found guilty of violence, responds here to a telegram of concern from Bob Hope. Although Carter’s reply was curt, he later remarked, “In my opinion, Bob Hope is one of America’s greatest heroes.” After leaving office, Carter sent Hope a letter of regret at being unable to join Presidents Reagan (1911–2004) and Ford (1913–2006) at the opening of the Bob Hope Cultural Center in Palm Desert, California. As president, Carter hosted a White House reception to celebrate the comedian’s seventy-fifth birthday. After Carter’s presidency, Hope accepted his invitation to help build a house to support Habitat for Humanity. Carter later remarked, “In my opinion, Bob Hope is one of America’s greatest heroes.”