From Plains PA to Plains GA — Happy 100th President Carter

WILKES-BARRE — Larry Cook and his wife, Diane, have been friends with former President Jimmy Carter and his late wife, Rosalynn, for more than 20 years.

And as Carter turns 100 years old on Oct. 1, Larry Cook offered heartfelt comments about the former President and the bond between them.

“He is literally a man of 100 years of history,” Cook said of Carter. “He made history on the day he was born at the small hospital in Plains, Georgia. He was the first president born in a hospital, and exactly 100 years later, he’s made history again. In those 100 years, he has made history and achievements his entire life as the only president to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Gov. of Georgia, President of the U.S., co- founder of The Carter Center, as well as their involvement with Habitat for Humanity, just to name a few.”

Over the 20-plus years of friendship, Cook said he and Diane have been with the Carters dozens of times.

“Most years we would see them three to four times a year,” Cook said. “Diane and I are very excited about President Carter reaching the milestone birthday of 100 years. He has been the longest living president for a few years and is the only president to reach 100.”

On a personal note, Cook said President Carter and Rosalynn have been great friends to the Cooks over many years, and the memories they have are priceless.

“Among some of our favorite memories are the times that they came here to Plains and Dallas to visit us,” Cook said. “The influences that they have had on our lives are tremendous. For example, their encouragement led me to become a full time Presidential Historian. The examples that they have demonstrated in their lives encouraged those around them to live a better and more charitable life.”

Cook said he is often asked to describe Jimmy Carter, the 39th U.S. President.

“Even though he is a man with 100 years of history and amazing accomplishments, the description is easy — he is a man of faith and principles,” Cook said. “One of President Carter’s famous quotes is, ‘My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference.’ He is certainly living up to that quote.”

In 2013, President Carter and Rosalynn spoke at the Wyoming Monument. Carter was so fascinated by the story of the Battle of Wyoming, he painted a picture of the monument.

President Carter returned back to Wyoming Valley, alone, in 2015 for yet another fundraiser, this time staying at the Cooks’ residence. Mrs. Carter was ill at the time and couldn’t travel to Pennsylvania.

“It was so neat,” Diane recalled in a Times Leader story. “We dined at the Mary Stegmaier Mansion and then afterwards we came back home and President Carter needed a snack so he had cheese and crackers and a Coke Zero.”

Over the last two decades of traveling to Plains, Georgia, the Cooks have enjoyed a great relationship with the Carters along with the stories and memories they hold.

“President Carter had us down to Plains for an event and he was introducing us and he said, ‘Larry and Diane are confused as to which Plains they live in,’” Larry reminisced.

The Cooks were invited to Mrs. Carter’s funeral service in 2023.

In 2015, Carter was in Wilkes-Barre to help raise money for the Plains Better Hometown Project in Georgia. Carter attended a dinner at the Mary Stegmaier Mansion where he greeted about 64 attendees and posed for pictures. Carter offered remarks to the crowd and an auction was held featuring several items signed by Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, who did not attend the event.

“Hi everybody,” Carter said when entering the building. “I have to go here and talk to some people, but I’ll be right back. Don’t leave.”

Carter, with his trademark smile, said he always looked forward to visiting Pennsylvania. He made fishing trips to Spruce Creek near State College and said Pennsylvania reminds him of home.

He said the Cooks have helped greatly to raise funds for the project.

“We’ve fixed up several buildings, including the schoolhouse where Rosalynn and I attended,” Carter said. “You all should come down for a visit. We have about 634 residents now.”

Carter forged lasting relationships with Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev, the People’s Republic of China and helped broker peace between Egypt and Israel. Carter served as president from 1977 to 1981.

Carter, the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, talked about The Carter Center and its worldwide mission of promoting peace and fighting disease in developing countries.

The Plains Better Hometown Program provides for the historic revitalization of Carter’s hometown. Cook said many historic sites have been saved from further ruin until the U.S. National Park Service can take them over.

Cook said the project also provides for the beautification of the town.

“President Carter is very appreciative of the support our area has given to the project in his hometown,” Cook said.

Cook is a life-long collector of historic presidential memorabilia and is a historian, specializing in the personal side of the Presidency and lesser known facts.

He and Diane founded the Plains Helping Plains Initiative — dedicated to formulating and managing projects that benefit Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s hometown of Plains, Georgia.

In 2011 he and his wife were made honorary citizens of Plains, Georgia, and were presented with proclamations by the Carters.

Cook said that since 1789, Americans have been intrigued with the Office of the President. Not only does the president himself invoke fascination and marks a spot in history, but so do their family, staff, acquaintances and the events that occur during their tenure and lifetimes.

Cook said through a close look at the office, the President and the people that surround him reveal many interesting, and sometimes almost unbelievable, happenings that interlock one administration to another.

As one who since childhood has been intrigued by these interesting and even strange facts, Cook said he has found that a great way to study the presidency was to collect related memorabilia. Researching newly-acquired memorabilia leads to the discovery of more and more information, which in turn leads to learning more and continuing the quest for more memorabilia— and information. After several years, he ended up with two collections— one of facts and one of memorabilia.

Now, through his lectures and live appearances, Cook is bringing both of these collections to the public.

Cook has lectured at various events and historic places including several programs for the National Park Service. Along with his lectures, he displays museum-quality memorabilia from his extensive personal collection.