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Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and Jimmy Carter
This photograph captures the first time that four U.S. presidents gathered in the White House at once. They came together in order to make a plan to represent the United States during an important ally's funeral. On October 6, 1981, Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, the author of significant peace negotiations with Israel, was assassinated during a parade in Cairo. Sitting President Ronald Reagan had survived an assassination attempt earlier that year, and government security agencies recommended that he not attend the funeral. Instead, the U.S. was represented by a delegation of the three former presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and Richard Nixon. Despite their combative election campaigns and differing ideologies, the presidents ultimately agreed to come together to honor Sadat. Although they made a show of solidarity, photographers noticed Carter's discomfort during the send-off. Carter, who considered Sadat a close friend, viewed Reagan's decision not to attend as cowardly.
George Tames, 1981 |