Jimmy Carter served as president.
James Earl Carter Jr. ( born October 1 , 1924 ) is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981 . Carter has remained active in public life during his post-presidency , and in 2002 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work with the Carter Center . Polls of historians and political scientists usually rank Carter as a below average president .