CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Of the Coastal Bend’s long history of presidential candidate visits, one of the most memorable and historic was when sitting President Jimmy Carter visited Corpus Christi in September 1980.
Carter, who was elected to office in 1977, was campaigning for a second term against Republican nominee Ronald Reagan. One of the stops on his 1980 campaign trail included a visit to Moody High School.
“The atmosphere was electric, you know. There are people from all over the city, there are dignitaries from everywhere," Class of '81 alum Antonio Martinez told KRIS 6. “It was fantastic to be one of the few actual students to be in the actual building itself."
Martinez was one of the 23 individuals selected to ask President Carter a question during the town hall meeting. "I immediately, literally jumped up on my chair and started jumping up and down, waving my hands along with everyone else, and he chose me out of the blue." Martinez's concern at the time was rumors of another draft, similar to that of the Vietnam War. Carter was quick to dispel those concerns.
"It was easy to speak to him in general. He made the atmosphere more, such as a town hall. It was just speaking to another gentleman as opposed to the, the most powerful man in the world at the time."
Carter’s visit drew a crowd of 1,400, including Sylvia Campos, now a Corpus Christi City Council member representing District 2. Campos, who had graduated from Moody prior to Carter’s visit, described the excitement of the event. “Everybody was just so excited and talking,” Campos told KRIS 6.
Campos shared that Carter was the first president she ever voted for and remains her “favorite president.” She added, “I’m glad that he really portrayed the best kind of president you could be.”
Other Moody alumni shared their memories of the event with KRIS 6. Mari Flores recalled the extensive preparations leading up to Carter’s visit. “For weeks, maybe even a month beforehand, we could see his Secret Service detail in the school studying floor plans or whatever else they look at to secure the building,” Flores wrote on social media.
Another alum, Veronica Garcia Sanchez, remembered meeting Carter. “I remember shaking his hand afterward, and it was super soft and squishy,” she shared. One student reflected on the honor of attending the event, writing, “It truly was an honorable moment to be 15 years old and being a part of a historical event.”
As the nation mourns the passing of former President Jimmy Carter, U.S. President Joe Biden has announced a state funeral scheduled for Jan. 9 in Washington, D.C. Carter will lie in the state of Atlanta on Saturday and at the U.S. Capitol beginning Tuesday.
The public will have opportunities to pay their respects during processional routes and public viewings. The service will also be streamed live at kristv.com
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