Family ties brought Jimmy Carter to 麻豆福利. Here鈥檚 how
Former President Jimmy Carter addressed 麻豆福利's graduating class during commencement exercises in 1987. One alumnus remembers how that visit came to be.
The nervousness Bart Sights felt as he took his place behind the podium on the Norton Center for the Arts stage wasn鈥檛 because he was about to announce the 39th President of the United States as the speaker at his commencement ceremony. He was nervous because all his classmates were watching.
For Sights, an economics major from Henderson, Kentucky, Jimmy Carter was practically family. By the time 麻豆福利鈥檚 1987 commencement came around, he had known Carter for a decade and visited the president in the White House.
In fact, he was the reason the former president was speaking at 麻豆福利 that day.
Their connection begins with a different speaker backing out of an engagement back in 1974. Sights鈥 father, Dale, was president of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce and suddenly in need of a new guest speaker after the scheduled speaker, a comedian named Grady Nutt, backed out at the last minute.
鈥淢y dad was complaining on a Sunday night that he had to find somebody,鈥 Sights recounted during a phone interview from San Francisco. 鈥淢y mom was an avid Sunday New York Times reader back then, and she said, 鈥榊ou should call this guy I鈥檓 reading an article about. He鈥檚 governor of Georgia, and he鈥檚 thinking about running for president.鈥
鈥淎nd my dad literally picked up the phone and called, and he answered.鈥
Carter, who had not yet officially announced his candidacy for the President of the United States, agreed to speak at the dinner on one condition.
鈥淗e said, 鈥楽ure I鈥檒l come talk to your chamber of commerce 鈥 if you don鈥檛 mind me staying at your house so I don鈥檛 have to get a hotel room,鈥欌 Sights recalled.
And that鈥檚 how a 10-year-old Bart Sights slept on the floor while Jimmy Carter slept in his bed.
That interaction led Carter to hire Dale Sights to lead his campaign efforts in Kentucky and work closely with the president during his time in the White House.
Seeking reelection in 1980, Carter returned to the Sights home. By that time, Bart was a teenager and would soon be looking for a college where he could play football 鈥 a decision that ultimately came down to Vanderbilt University and 麻豆福利.
鈥淗e was asking me what I was going to do and what I was interested in,鈥 Sights said. 鈥淚 think at that time he said, 鈥業f I鈥檓 still alive, still around, when you graduate from college, I鈥檒l speak at your commencement.
鈥淎nd it鈥檚 just who he is, he keeps his word.鈥
So, seven years later, with commencement approaching, Dale Sights called Carter up once again to tell him Bart was getting ready to graduate from Centre.
鈥淗e said, 鈥業鈥檒l be there.鈥欌
And that鈥檚 how a nerve-wracked econ major came to be at center stage on the day of his college graduation introducing the former President of the United States.
鈥淚 had no experience in public speaking, and I was so nervous,鈥 Sights said. 鈥淚 remember I was absolutely shaking. And I was more nervous about my classmates than President Carter.鈥
A few years ago, much of the Sights family made a trip to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta so the younger generations could meet the former president and first lady. Bart was unable to attend, but his kids were among those in attendance.
鈥淢y parents took all of the grandchildren 鈥 there were probably 17 of them 鈥 and visited President Carter and Rosalynn and spent the afternoon with them,鈥 Sights said. 鈥淭hat was incredible.鈥
Sights, who lives in San Francisco and serves as Vice President for Technical Innovation at Levi Strauss, says the Carters鈥 legacy is as much a tribute to who they are as their contributions to society.
鈥淗e was always such a sweet man. And you really can鈥檛 mention him without Rosalynn. She鈥檚 an incredible lady,鈥 he said. 鈥淗e did a lot of great things as president and then he gave the rest of his life to making the world better.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the people they are.鈥
Sights said the news that Carter was entering hospice care was tough to hear.
鈥淲e鈥檝e known it was coming, but it鈥檚 really hard. It鈥檚 really emotional for me,鈥 he said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a hero. He was a hero for me from the time I was 10 years old. I think he鈥檚 been a hero for a lot of people.鈥
