AMERICUS, Ga. (WALB) —Georgia Southwestern State University is now the academic home of the National First Ladies Day Commission, an organization focused on preserving and studying the legacy of America’s first ladies.

Presidential descendants from across the country gathered in Americus for the occasion. Those in attendance included:

• Julie Wall Smith, niece of former first lady Rosalynn Carter
• Allethea Smith Wall, younger sister of Rosalynn Carter
• Ulysses Grant Dietz, great-great-grandson of President Ulysses S. Grant
• Adele Cult, descendant of President John Tyler

Rosalynn Carter’s ties to GSW

The university’s connection to the commission is rooted in one of its most notable alumni. Rosalynn Carter attended GSW in 1945, commuting from Plains to Americus. She served as class vice president and co-founded the Democrats Club.

Kerry Palmer, GSW president, said the Carter family’s influence on the region extends to the university.

“The same type of notoriety that the Carters brought to Southwest Georgia as a region, they continue to bring to GSW,” Palmer said. “And we’re just thrilled to be able to expose our students to this. That’s one of the most important components of hosting this, is having the GSW students experience this.”

Descendants weigh in

National First Ladies Day Founder Nicholas Inman said the recognition is long overdue.

“They’ve poured into our country for years,” Inman said. “From Martha Washington to now, our First Ladies have all had influence in some way. And it’s nice to see them get their due. We have Presidents’ Day. It’s nice that we would have a day to honor the ladies.”

Ulysses Grant Dietz, great-great-grandson of President Ulysses S. Grant, said Rosalynn Carter’s influence reached beyond Georgia.

“You might think, well, what does that have to do with me?” Dietz said. “Well, that has a huge amount to do with me because Rosalynn Carter was enormously influential on me as her husband was rising out of Georgia to become a national figure. And I was just beginning to vote. And so she... she turned me away from four generations of Republicans to vote for her husband.”

Timing tied to Plains celebration

The event comes a day before Plains’ annual Butterfly Daze celebration, which honors Rosalynn Carter’s life and birthday.

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