Fw: National Women's Hall of Fame Inducts Rosalynn Carter

>> National Women's Hall of Fame Inducts Rosalynn Carter >> >> ATLANTA, Oct. 2 (AScribe Newswire) -- On Oct. 5, former First Lady >> Rosalynn Carter, vice chair of The Carter Center, will be inducted into >> the >> National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, N.Y. Widely recognized for >> her >> advocacy work on mental health issues over the last 30 years, Mrs. Carter >> has >> galvanized key partnerships in the campaign to eliminate stigma against >> those >> with mental illness, to achieve mental health insurance coverage parity, >> and >> to screen our youth early for mental and behavioral disorders. >> >> "Her life-long work on behalf of women, children, and the mentally >> ill >> is a living testament to her vision and character. In this day and age, >> Mrs. >> Carter's ongoing dedication to making our country a better place for all >> is, >> indeed, a great and worthy achievement," said Marilyn Bero, president of >> the >> National Women's Hall of Fame. >> >> A full partner with President Carter in all of the Carter Center's >> activities, the former First Lady also created and chairs the Carter >> Center's >> Mental Health Task Force, an advisory body of experts and advocates >> promoting >> positive change in the mental health field. She also has spearheaded the >> annual Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy. In addition, >> Mrs. >> Carter has chaired the World Federation for Mental Health's International >> Committee of Women Leaders for Mental Health since its establishment. As >> First Lady of the United States, Mrs. Carter served as honorary chair of >> the >> President's Commission on Mental Health. Within one year, the Commission >> assessed the current system and made recommendations for new legislation >> by >> undertaking a series of public hearings across the country. In September >> 1980, Congress passed the Mental Health Systems Act. >> >> Mother of four, Mrs. Carter has maintained a life-long dedication >> to >> issues affecting women and children. In 1991, she launched with Mrs. >> Betty >> Bumpers, wife of former U.S. Sen. Dale Bumpers of Arkansas, "Every Child >> By >> Two," a nationwide campaign to publicize the need for early childhood >> immunizations. Mrs. Carter is president of the board of directors for the >> Rosalynn Carter Institute of Georgia Southwestern State University (RCI), >> which was established in her honor on the campus of her alma mater in >> Americus, Ga., to help family and professional caregivers. >> >> Mrs. Carter has received many honors in the health and mental >> health >> fields and is the author of four books: First Lady from Plains, >> Everything to >> Gain: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life, Helping Yourself Help >> Others: >> A Book for Caregivers, and Helping Someone With Mental Illness: A >> Compassionate Guide for Family, Friends, and Caregivers. >> >> Mrs. Carter will be only the third First Lady ever inducted into the >> Hall >> of Fame joining Abigail Adams (inducted in 1976) and Eleanor Roosevelt >> (inducted in 1973). Other Georgians already so honored have been: >> >> Jacqueline Cochran (1906-1980) - first woman aviator to break the >> sound barrier and to pilot a bomber across the Atlantic (WW II). Jeanette >> Rankin (1880-1973) - first woman elected to U.S. Congress. Ella Baker >> (1903-1986) - civil rights leader and co-founder of the Southern >> Christian >> Leadership Conference, headed by Martin Luther King, Jr. Mary McLeod >> Bethune >> (1875-1955) - teacher who began a school to help educate young African >> American women and worked to end discrimination through her leadership of >> the >> National Council of Negro Women. Juliette Gordon Low (1860-1927) founder >> of >> the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. Bessie Smith (1898-1937) one of the >> country's >> greatest blues singers. >> >> Originally named to the Hall of Fame in 2001, Mrs. Carter's >> induction >> was postponed a year, due to the Sept.11 attacks. The other 2001 >> inductees to >> be honored include Dorothy Andersen, Lucille Ball, Lydia Maria Child, >> Bessie >> Coleman, Dorothy Day, Marian de Forest, Althea Gibson, Beatrice Hicks, >> Barbara Holdridge, Harriet Strong, Emily Warner, and Victoria Woodhull. >> Joining them are the 2002 inductees Paulina Davis, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, >> Katharine Graham, Bertha Holt, Mary Engle Pennington, and Mercy Otis >> Warren. >> The October induction will bring the total number of inductees to 195. >> Seneca >> Falls, N.Y. is the birthplace of the women's rights movement and site of >> the >> first Women's Rights Convention in 1848. >> >> The not-for-profit, nongovernmental Carter Center was founded in >> 1982 >> by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn. In >> partnership >> with Emory University, the Center works to wage peace, fight disease, and >> build hope for millions of people around the world. Led by Mrs. Carter >> since >> its inception, the Center's Mental Health Program will host the annual >> Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy, November 6-7. This >> year's >> topic is a Status Report: Meeting the Mental Health Needs of the Country >> in >> the Wake of September 11, 2001. >> >> To learn more about the Carter Center Mental Health Program, please >> visit: www.cartercenter.org. >> >> -30- >> >>