Rosalynn Carter visits West Michigan

Former first lady Rosalynn Carter visited West Michigan on October 26 to talk about her new book, Within Our Reach: Ending the Mental Health Crisis.

Mrs. Carter attended a luncheon at the Pew Grand Rapids Campus before participating in a panel discussion at the Gerald R. Ford Museum, sponsored by the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies.

As first lady from 1977-81, Rosalynn Carter served as the honorary chair of the President’s Commission on Mental Health. The commission ultimately pushed through the passage of the 1980 Mental Health Systems Act, which boosted funding for mental illnesses. When the Carters returned to Georgia, they established the Carter Center, where Rosalynn created a program devoted solely to mental health.

The event was also sponsored by the Gerald R. Ford Library, Museum, and Foundation and Founders Bank & Trust.