DALLAS, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — 28/22 News is looking back at the life of a former president who is approaching the century mark, and how a local historian has a tie to our country’s longest-living president, Jimmy Carter.
On October 1, 1924, the 39th president of the United States was born.
“He made history on the first day of his life, the first day he was born. He’s the first president to be born in a hospital,” said Larry Cook, Presidential Historian
Now almost 100 years later former President Jimmy Carter lives to be the oldest president in history. Making stops and friends throughout his life, Carter befriended Luzerne County Presidential Historian Larry Cook.
28/22 News was able to stand in the same spot the president was when visiting Cook’s home in Dallas, and asked what did Carter think of Cook's collection.
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“Oh, he loves it, he loves it. He would go around and I loved going around the collection with him and hearing his comments about certain things,” said Cook “I saw him looking at an item that had to do with Gerald Ford and he looked at that item and he said, ‘Wow, we were great friends and I really miss him.’”
Carter was the first president Cook met while in Plains, Georgia.
After writing a handwritten letter thanking the former president he received a response.
“Within a week he handwrote me a letter back and at the end he said, ‘ya’ll come back and visit us again,’ so we did that,” said Cook.
Cook owns hundreds of memorabilia surrounding the 39th president even having a tie with Carter’s face and peanuts on it.
What’s the deal with the peanuts? Well before President Carter made it to the White House, he was a peanut farmer, which then became a big part of his campaign.
Cook will be traveling to Carter’s birthday celebration next week bringing special birthday cards signed by NEPA community members from his history presentations.
“They were so excited. Every single audience member at both presentations signed the cards so we ended up with two cards full of signatures.”
Cook tells 28/22 news that especially during a presidential election year voters need to learn the history of past presidents.
