Gloria Carter Spann (October 22,1926–March 5,1990) was the sister of former
President of the United StatesThe President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition...
Jimmy CarterJames Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981 and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
.
Gloria Carter was the second of four children born to
James Earl Carter, Sr.James Earl Carter was the father of former president of the United States, Jimmy Carter. He also had three other children; William Alton "Billy" Carter , Gloria Carter Spann and Ruth Carter Stapleton .After attending Riverside Military Academy and serving as a lieutenant in the U.S...
and
Lillian Gordy CarterBessie Lillian Gordy Carter was the mother of former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter. She is also known for contribution to nursing in her home state of Georgia and as a Peace Corps volunteer in India as well as writing two books during the Carter presidency.-Nurse and mother:Bessie...
and was 24 months younger than her brother, Jimmy. By many accounts, Gloria was the smartest, most attractive, most outgoing and most talented of the Carter children. As children competing for the affections of their parents, the relationship between Spann and the future President was somewhat strained but the two grew extremely close in their later years.
Gloria Carter Spann (October 22,1926–March 5,1990) was the sister of former
President of the United StatesThe President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition...
Jimmy CarterJames Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981 and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
.
Early years
Gloria Carter was the second of four children born to
James Earl Carter, Sr.James Earl Carter was the father of former president of the United States, Jimmy Carter. He also had three other children; William Alton "Billy" Carter , Gloria Carter Spann and Ruth Carter Stapleton .After attending Riverside Military Academy and serving as a lieutenant in the U.S...
and
Lillian Gordy CarterBessie Lillian Gordy Carter was the mother of former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter. She is also known for contribution to nursing in her home state of Georgia and as a Peace Corps volunteer in India as well as writing two books during the Carter presidency.-Nurse and mother:Bessie...
and was 24 months younger than her brother, Jimmy. By many accounts, Gloria was the smartest, most attractive, most outgoing and most talented of the Carter children. As children competing for the affections of their parents, the relationship between Spann and the future President was somewhat strained but the two grew extremely close in their later years. Her brother Jimmy shot her with a BB gun when they were children.
Carter graduated from
high schoolHigh school is the name used in some parts of the world, particularly in Scotland, Northern America and Oceania, to describe an institution that provides all or part of secondary education...
in June 1945 and enrolled in
Georgia Southwestern CollegeGeorgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia, is a school in the University System of Georgia.- Pre 1960s :Georgia Southwestern State University, a four-year unit of the University System of Georgia, was founded in 1906 as the Third Agricultural and Mechanical School...
where she began to study
journalismJournalism is the craft of conveying news, descriptive material and comment via a widening spectrum of media. These include newspapers, magazines, radio and television, the internet and even, more recently, the mobile phone...
. Her plans were deterred when she eloped in December 1945, marrying a war hero named William Everett from
AmericusAmericus is a city in Sumter County, Georgia, United States. The population was 17,013 at the 2000 census. Americus is the home of Habitat for Humanity International's international headquarters, the famous Windsor Hotel , Fuller Center for Housing international headquarters, The Rosalynn Carter...
. The Carters disapproved the match as the groom was a former drug store clerk. This was not a suitable job for the well-to-do families at the time. The marriage produced a son, William Everett (Hardy) (1946-1997). Gloria returned to
GeorgiaGeorgia is a state in the United States. One of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution, it had been the last of the Thirteen Colonies to be established, in 1733. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January...
in 1949 from
TexasTexas is the second-largest U.S. state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous United States.The name had wide usage among native Americans, meaning "friends" or "allies"...
, and her father, Earl Carter, was upset by the brutal beatings Gloria suffered at the hands of her husband. With the help of her father, Gloria had her marriage annulled in 1949. In July 1953, just a week before her father's death, Carter married Walter Spann, a farmer from
Webster County, GeorgiaWebster County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 2,390. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 2,245 . The county seat is Preston, Georgia.-History:...
and he adopted the son from her first marriage. Walter and Gloria Spann produced no children of their own together but the marriage lasted almost 37 years until her death.
Carter presidency: 1977-1981
Although she had some level of fame of her own before Jimmy's election, she was not forced into the spotlight until her brother was elected
PresidentPresident is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. Etymologically, a "president" is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
. Gloria was probably the sibling who shunned the spotlight most during her brother's years in office. Prior to the Jimmy Carter achieving the presidency in 1976, Spann had participated in several prior campaigns for her brother. In his bids for the governorship of Georgia, she made countless phone calls and mailed numerous pamphlets in order to win votes for Carter. Mrs. Spann maintained a relatively low profile as she and her husband, Walter participated in cross-country motorcycling across the country on their
Harley-DavidsonHarley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
motorcycles.
Mrs. Spann's son caused her great distress. He became a nocturnal wanderer and often stayed gone for three or four days at a time, leaving Mrs. Spann frantic. Since her husband made good money, Gloria was not required to work but since her son was continually
expelledExpulsion at a school or university is defined as removing a student from the institution for violating rules or honor codes.- The rules associated with the exclusion :...
from schools, Gloria Spann began work as a secretary in order to send her son to a private school. This in turn caused Gloria to discuss her trouble with her
evangelistEvangelism is the practice of attempting to convert people to a religion. The term is used most often in reference to Christianity's religions, since they mandate that their followers make efforts to recruit as many people as possible into their faith...
sister,
Ruth StapletonRuth Carter Stapleton was a sister of Jimmy Carter and was known in her own right as a Christian evangelist. She died of pancreatic cancer in 1983.- Early life :...
and then found a solution. After being assigned to Ruth's cabin in the mountains, Gloria picked up material that encourages the reader to give his or her problems to
GodGod is a deity in theistic and deistic religions and other belief systems, representing either the sole deity in monotheism, or a principal deity in polytheism....
. Spann expected to be bored to sleep by the material but saw that it was something she could use and finally took her sisters' advice on turning this situation over to
GodGod is a deity in theistic and deistic religions and other belief systems, representing either the sole deity in monotheism, or a principal deity in polytheism....
.
William Carter Spann moved to
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
in 1969 and Gloria turned her interests in other directions. William Spann often said that his mother rejected him and used this as a means to justify his unconventional behavior. Gloria Carter Spann did not see her son even once during the last twenty-one years of her life.
Though William had moved out to California and severed contact with his family, this did not keep him out of the spotlight. During
Jimmy CarterJames Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981 and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
's 1976 Presidential campaign, the media's intense scrutiny found them at William's jail cell out in California. When interviewed about his uncle's success, he stated: "He's in the
White HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it was built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the late Georgian style and has been the residence of every...
, I'm in the big house." Gloria also received a phone call threatening to reveal that "Jimmy Carter's got a nephew in jail" if she did not pay a sum of money to keep the caller quiet.
During their years as motorcyclists, Gloria and her husband became "den mother" and father to the younger riders. The Spann's planted a large garden for the bikers each year and canned the vegetables to serve as they often had unexpected guests. Their
farmhouseFarmhouse is a general term for the main house of a farm. It is a type of building or house which serves a residential purpose in a rural or agricultural setting. Most often, the surrounding environment will be a farm. These buildings are usually 2 stories, but early buildings were single story....
was arranged for multiple cots or sleeping bags. Walter constructed a four-hole
outhouseAn outhouse is a type of toilet in a small structure separate from the main building which does not have a flush and is not attached to a sewer.- Terminology :...
to accommodate bikers who were cruising through the
SouthSouth is one of the cardinal directions and is opposite to the north.By Western convention, the bottom side of a map is south; the southern direction has azimuth or bearing of 180°....
or headed down to the races at
DaytonaDaytona may refer to:* Daytona Beach, Florida* Daytona Beach Shores, Florida* South Daytona, FloridaIn motor racing:* Daytona Beach Road Course* Daytona International Speedway, a NASCAR speedway, which hosts:** the Daytona 500 NASCAR race...
.
Trivia
Gloria was a
contestantA contestant is someone who takes part in a competition, usually a professional competition or a game show on television. The participants competing against each other have to go through rounds...
on the game show
The Price is RightThe Price Is Right is a U.S. television game show that is currently owned by the FremantleMedia subsidiary of the RTL Group. It was created by Bob Stewart for Goodson-Todman Productions in the United States in 1956, and was significantly revamped by them in 1972...
but didn't win. In 1977, Mrs. Spann, along with her mother, published
Away from Home, Letters to my Family that discusses events surrounding
Miss LillianBessie Lillian Gordy Carter was the mother of former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter. She is also known for contribution to nursing in her home state of Georgia and as a Peace Corps volunteer in India as well as writing two books during the Carter presidency.-Nurse and mother:Bessie...
's trip to
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
with the
Peace CorpsThe Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a governmental agency of the same name. Each program participant, or Peace Corps Volunteer, is an American citizen who commits to working abroad in an assignment for the organization for a period of...
.
Pancreatic Cancer and Death
In the fall of 1989, Mrs. Spann learned that she had
pancreatic cancerPancreatic cancer is a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. Each year in the United States, about 42,470 individuals are diagnosed with this condition and 35,240 die from the disease. The prognosis is generally poor; less than 5 percent of those diagnosed are still alive five years after diagnosis...
. The Spanns, both approaching 70, were looking forward to retiring to their
farmhouseFarmhouse is a general term for the main house of a farm. It is a type of building or house which serves a residential purpose in a rural or agricultural setting. Most often, the surrounding environment will be a farm. These buildings are usually 2 stories, but early buildings were single story....
and continuing their interest in motorcycles. The disease as usual, was detected in its late stages when the only treatment is palliative care. Spann had been a
smokerSmoker is a noun derived from "smoke"/"smoking" and may have the following specialized meanings:* Someone who smokes tobacco or cannabis, cigarette substitutes or various other drugs* Smoking , smoker, an apparatus for smoking...
but had broken the habit in the years prior to her death. Like her two younger siblings who had died of the disease during the 1980s, she declined life-extending treatment.
Family and friends accommodated very well for Gloria during this time. On March 5, 1990, Mrs. Gloria Carter Spann, 63, died of the disease. She is survived by her husband Walter,
Jimmy CarterJames Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981 and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
and her son who has since died. Gloria's parents and her sister,
Ruth StapletonRuth Carter Stapleton was a sister of Jimmy Carter and was known in her own right as a Christian evangelist. She died of pancreatic cancer in 1983.- Early life :...
, and brother,
Billy CarterWilliam Alton "Billy" Carter III was the younger brother of United States President Jimmy Carter.-Early years:...
, had also died from this disease. Gloria's tombstone reads, "She rides in
HarleyHarley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
HeavenHeaven may refer to the physical heavens, the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the universe beyond. This is the traditional literal meaning of the term in English...
." Spann is buried in the Lebanon Church
CemeteryA cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term cemetery implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are the place where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
near
Plains, GeorgiaPlains is a city in Sumter County, Georgia, United States. The population was 637 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Americus Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
where her parents and brother,
Billy CarterWilliam Alton "Billy" Carter III was the younger brother of United States President Jimmy Carter.-Early years:...
, are also buried.
Sources
- http://www.bikerrogue.com/Articles/Bros_Events/goodbye_gloria.htm
- http://www.bassharp.com/bspress.htm
- http://www.hdfoundation.org/testread/family.html
- http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E01E1DE1F39F93BA2575BC0A964948260
- http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE4DF1538F932A35751C1A96F948260&n=Top%2FNews%2FHealth%2FDiseases%2C%20Conditions%2C%20and%20Health%20Topics%2FCancer
- http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CEFD8103DF934A35750C0A966958260