President Carter to lie in state in U.S. Capitol; Jan. 9 declared federal holiday for Carter funeral

WASHINGTON - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter will lie in state in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., according to the Carter Center, giving the American people a chance to pay their respects to the late president.

Congress extended the invitation to the 39th president's family on Monday, which was "respectfully and gratefully accepted." The official date has not yet been released.

Also on Monday, President Joe Biden signed an executive order, closing federal government agencies on Jan. 9 for the late former president's funeral.

Carter died on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024 at his home in Plains, Georgia at the age of 100, surrounded by his family. He had spent almost two years in at-home hospice care. The longest-lived U.S. president. Carter was known for his enduring commitment to philanthropy and humanitarian work.

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Funeral for Jimmy Carter

Presidential funerals can take years to plan out, and the details are usually kept secret between close family members and the U.S. Army Military District of Washington.

The arrangements are not announced until after a president dies.

Official plans for Carter's funeral have not been announced at this time, but shortly after the news of his passing came out, President Joe Biden said he is ordering an official state funeral to be held in Washington, D.C. 

The Carter Center says public observances will be held in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. as well as a burial and funeral in his hometown of Plains.

The family will provide details of the funeral plans to the Washington Military District, which is in charge of implementing them.

Each president’s final resting place is among the details they include in their plans. Most have chosen locations in their home states; only two presidents are buried at Arlington National Cemetery: Kennedy and William Howard Taft.

What occurs in Washington, D.C. unfolds according to guidelines that date back to the mid-1800s and have been reshaped over time.

They often involve funeral processions down Pennsylvania Avenue, lying in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda and a memorial service, usually at the Washington National Cathedral.

National Day of Mourning

Protocol dictates that flags will be flown at half-staff for a period of 30 days after the passing of a U.S. president.

The sitting president is also in charge of issuing an executive order issued authorizing the closure of federal offices and buildings for a national day of mourning.

Late Sunday, Biden issued a proclamation appointing Jan. 9, 2025, as a National Day of Mourning throughout the United States. In the proclamation, Biden called on Americans to "assemble on that day in their respective places of worship, there to pay homage to the memory of President James Earl Carter, Jr."

In the proclamation, Biden also ordered the flag of the United States to be flown at half staff for 30 days following Carter's death. 

Jimmy Carter's life & political career

James Earl Carter was born in Plains, Georgia, on October 1, 1924, into a family of peanut farmers.

There, in the peanut capital of the world, the Carter family’s Baptist roots ran deep. Jimmy, as he liked to be called, was fond of the family business. But he grew to love the life of public service even more.

In his early years, Carter attended Georgia Southwestern College, Georgia Tech and the U.S. Naval Academy. He went on to serve overseas.

He married Rosalynn Smith, and they had three sons and a daughter.

In 1962, amid the growing civil-rights movement, Carter was elected to the Georgia Senate. From there, it was on to a gubernatorial campaign in 1966. That attempt failed. But in 1971, Jimmy Carter became Georgia’s 76th governor.

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In 1974, then-Gov. Carter announced his run for president. He won the Democratic Party nomination at the 1976 convention on the first ballot.

On Nov. 2, 1976, Jimmy Carter, campaigning as a Washington outsider, defeated Republican incumbent Gerald Ford and won the White House.

President Carter served one term, from 1977 to 1981. There were some monumental highs during his time in office, such as the brokering of the Camp David accord between Egypt and Israel.

How to support the Carter family

The public can share condolences on Jimmy Carter's official tribute website. The site has an online condolence book as well as print and visual biographical materials commemorating his life.

The Carter family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to The Carter Center, 453 John Lewis Freedom Parkway N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307.

Additional details on the life and legacy of Jimmy Carter, as well as details on his services, can be found on the Carter Center Tribute website.

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