Billy Carter
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| Billy Carter | |
| Born | March 29, 1937 |
|---|---|
| Died | September 25, 1988 (aged 51) |
William Alton "Billy" Carter III (March 29, 1937 – September 25, 1988) was the younger brother of United States President Jimmy Carter, born in Plains, Georgia.
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[edit] Early years
For a time, Carter attended Emory University in the Atlanta area but did not complete a degree. Carter served four years in the United States Marine Corps, then returned to Plains to work for his older brother in the family business of growing peanuts. In 1955, he married Sybil Spires (born 1938) of Plains. They were the parents of six: Kim, Jana, William "Buddy", Marle, Mandy and Earl, who was just 12 years old when his father died.
On December 6, 1976, he lost the mayoral election in Plains.
In 1977, Billy Carter endorsed Billy Beer capitalizing upon his colorful image as a beer-drinking Southern boy that had developed in the press while his brother ran for President. Billy Carter's name was occasionally used as a gag answer for a Washington, D.C., trouble-maker on 1970s episodes of The Match Game. Carter was known for his outlandish public behavior. For example, he once urinated on an airport runway in full view of the press and dignitaries.
[edit] Libya
In late 1978 and early 1979, Carter visited Libya with a contingent from Georgia three times. He eventually registered as a foreign agent of the Libyan government and received a $220,000 loan. This led to a Senate hearing over alleged influence peddling which some in the press dubbed "Billygate." A Senate sub-committee was called To Investigate Activities of Individuals Representing Interests of Foreign Governments (Billy Carter-Libya Investigation).
After the failure of Billy Beer, Carter sold his house to settle back taxes with the IRS. In later years, Carter also admitted he was an alcoholic and sought medical treatment for the affliction which he was able to overcome. He went public with this to help others.
[edit] Death
In September 1988, Carter was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and took unsuccessful treatments for the disease. Carter died in Plains at the age of 51. His parents and both of his sisters also died from pancreatic cancer.[1]
[edit] Legacy
In 1999, Carter's son William "Buddy" Carter published a biography of his father titled Billy Carter: A Journey Through the Shadows (ISBN 1-56352-553-4).
On a 1979 episode of Saturday Night Live host Gary Busey played Billy Carter, attending brother Jimmy's (Dan Aykroyd) overseeing of the peace accords between Israel's prime minister Menachem Begin (John Belushi) and Egypt's president Anwar Sadat (Garrett Morris).
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Billy Carter Dies of Cancer at 51. Troubled Brother of a President.", New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-04-29. "Billy Carter, the irrepressible gas station proprietor and farmer who vaulted to national celebrity in his brother Jimmy's successful campaign for President in 1976, died of cancer of the pancreas yesterday at his home in Plains, Ga. He was 51 years old."
