JIMMY CARTER PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM REOPENS AFTER OVERHAUL

THE JIMMY CARTER LIBRARY AND MUSEUM, ATLANTA, REOPENED ON THE FORMER PRESIDENT'S 85th BIRTHDAY AFTER AN OVERHAUL THAT DEVOTES MORE SPACE THAN ANY OTHER PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY TO A COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF'S WORK AFTER THE WHITE HOUSE. CARTER BEAMED THURSDAY AS HE SPOKE TO HUNDREDS AT THE OPENING CEREMONY, SAYING: "THERE'S NO WAY ANY OF YOU CAN IMAGINE THE EMOTIONS THAT FILL MY HEART AND MIND IN THIS MOMENT." ABOUT A THIRD OF THE ATLANTA MUSEUM EXPLORES THE GEORGIA DEMOCRAT'S LIFE AFTER HE WAS DEFEATED BY RONALD REAGAN. IT INCLUDES DOZENS OF PHOTOS AND VIDEOS DETAILING HIS EFFORTS TO ERADICATE DISEASE, RESOLVE CONFLICTS AND MONITOR ELECTIONS. AS IF TO REMIND VISITORS OF THE IMPACT OF HIS WORK SINCE LEAVING THE WHITE HOUSE, THE EXHIBIT ENDS BY FEATURING THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE AND OTHER HUMANITARIAN AWARDS THAT CARTER HAS RECEIVED FOR HIS WORK IN AND OUT OF THE OVAL OFFICE.
THE MUSEUM WAS CLOSED IN LATE APRIL, THE $10 MILLION PROJECT, WHICH TOOK ABOUT FIVE MONTHS TO COMPLETE, IS THE FIRST MAJOR UPDATE TO THE MUSEUM SINCE IT WAS BUILT 23 YEARS AGO. ATTENDANCE HAD FALLEN ABOUT 50% IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS AN NEWER ATLANTA ATTRACTIONS, SUCH AS THE GEORGIA AQUARIUM, DREW IN MORE TOURISTS AND STUDENTS. ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS IS SIX TOWERING HIGH-RESOLUTION VIDEO SCREENS GIVING VISITORS A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PRESIDENT. IT FOCUSES ON A BUSY DAY - 11.DECEMBER.1978 - THAT STARTS WITH CARTER RECEIVING A WAKE-UP CALL AT 5:30am AND FOLLOWS HIM AS HE GRAPPLES WITH THE AFTERMATH OF A MIDDLE EAST PEACE DEAL, THE TEETERING REGIME OF A US ALLY IN IRAN AND EFFORTS TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH CHINA. THE MUSEUM TOUR STARTS WITH EXHIBITS ON CARTER'S CHILDHOOD IN SEGREGATED SOUTHWEST GEORGIA AND A MODEL OF A NUCLEAR SUBMARINE WHERE THE PRESIDENT ONCE WORKED AS A YOUNG NAVAL OFFICER. IT THEN TRACKS HIS POLITICAL CAREER, FIRST AS A STATE SENATOR, THEN AS GOVERNOR AND FINALLY AS PRESIDENT. THE WHITE HOUSE SECTION INCLUDES A FULL SCALE REPLICA OF THE OVAL OFFICE, AND AN EXHIBIT DEPICTING CAMP DAVID, WHERE CARTER'S "CABIN DIPLOMACY" HELPED BROKER A PEACE DEAL BETWEEN EGYPT AND ISRAEL. SOME 27 MILLION PAGES OF DOCUMENTS FROM CARTER'S TERM SIT BEHIND A GLASS WALL IN A NEARBY ROTUNDA. CARTER SAID HE HOPES THE CHALLENGES AND TRIUMPHS THAT HE AND HIS WIFE ROSALYNN HAVE FACED WILL INSPIRE VISITORS TO DO MORE TO HELP OTHERS.