President Jimmy Carter waves on the tarmac to hundreds of people greeting him at Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth on June 23, 1978.
Rodger Mallison
Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
This story originally published in February 2023.
President Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday at the age of 100, traveled to Fort Worth on June 23, 1978, for a luncheon at the Fort Worth Convention Center in downtown. Several of these Star-Telegram photos from that day are now being seen for the first time in 45 years.
Roughly 5,000 people attended the luncheon to hear Carter speak, not including the large crowd greeting Air Force One at Carswell Air Force Base and the throngs of people cheering along his motorcade route.
Star-Telegram photographers were positioned everywhere the president went. A few photos went into the newspaper, and the negatives for the rest were stored away. Eventually the negatives went to the UT Arlington Libraries, which is doing long-term storage for the Star-Telegram’s archive and going through a process of digitizing our image library.
Here’s a sample of what the negatives looked like:
Negatives of President Carter’s 1978 visit Fort Worth Star-Telegram
So several of these images below haven’t been seen by anyone since the day the film was developed in 1978.
Carter’s visit came about a year and a half into his presidency, and the Democrat from Georgia was facing tough issues that weighed on the nation’s economy. Some protesters were set up outside the convention center.
Joining Carter on stage were U.S. Rep. Jim Wright of Fort Worth, who had become House majority leader after the 1976 election, along with Sen. Lloyd Bentsen of Texas (who 10 years later was on the presidential ticket with Michael Dukakis) and Star-Telegram editor Jack Tinsley.
President Jimmy Carter arrives at what’s now Navy Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth in Fort Worth on June 23, 1978. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
President Jimmy Carter waves on the tarmac to hundreds of people greeting him at Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth on June 23, 1978. Rodger Mallison Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
President Jimmy Carter walks on the tarmac with the Secret Service agents and members of the press after arriving on Air Force One at Carswell Air Force Base, now Navy Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, on June 23, 1978. Rodger Mallison Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
President Jimmy Carter greets people after arriving on Air Force One at Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth on June 23, 1978. Rodger Mallison Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Spectators watch as President Jimmy Carter arrives at Carswell Air Force Base, now Navy Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, for a visit to the city on June 23, 1978. Rodger Mallison Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
President Jimmy Carter’s motorcade with Fort Worth police heading towards downtown Fort Worth during a visit to the city on June 23, 1978. Rodger Mallison Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Crowds of people are seen waiting outside of the Tarrant County Convention Center in downtown Fort Worth for President Jimmy Carter’s arrival on June 23, 1978. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
A group of people are seen walking in a line towards the Tarrant County Convention Center in downtown Fort Worth for President Jimmy Carter’s luncheon on June 23, 1978. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
A procession of men on horseback in downtown Fort Worth during President Jimmy Carter’s visit to the city on June 23, 1978, appearing to be staging a protest outside the Tarrant County convention center, where Carter was to speak at a luncheon. Gene Gordon Gene Gordon Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
A law enforcement officer is seen stationed outside of the Tarrant County Convention Center in downtown Fort Worth ahead of President Jimmy Carter’s arrival for a luncheon on June 23, 1978. The group seen behind the officer appears to be protesting Carter’s visit, holding signs calling for his impeachment and a string of signs reading “Jimmy Carter Why Did You Betray Us By Joining David Rockefeller’s Trilateral Comm (Commission) In 1973.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Hostesses swapped stories and jokes as they wait for President Jimmy Carter to arrive at the Tarrant County Convention Center in downtown Fort Worth. The Exhibits Hall was transformed into a giant dining room, suitable for 5,000 persons for the visit on June 23, 1978. Gene Gordon Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
President Jimmy Carter’s motorcade with Fort Worth police in downtown Fort Worth during his visit on June 23, 1978. The Tarrant County Courthouse is seen in the background. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Thousands of people gathered at the Tarrant County convention center in downtown Fort Worth for a luncheon hosting President Jimmy Carter on June 23, 1978. The Exhibits Hall of the center was transformed into a giant dining room, suitable for 5,000 persons for the president’s visit. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
President Jimmy Carter enters the Tarrant County Convention Center in downtown Fort Worth for a luncheon on June 23, 1978.
President Jimmy Carter enters the Tarrant County Convention Center for a luncheon in downtown Fort Worth on June 23, 1978. About 5,000 people attended the event. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
President Jimmy Carter speaks at a podium at Tarrant County Convention Center on June 23, 1978. Star-Telegram Executive Editor Jack Tinsley is seated directly left of Carter, with Sen. Lloyd Bentsen of Texas next to him. Willis Knight Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Thousands of people gathered at the Tarrant County convention center in downtown Fort Worth for a luncheon hosting President Jimmy Carter on June 23, 1978. The Exhibits Hall of the center was transformed into a giant dining room, suitable for 5,000 persons for the president’s visit. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
President Jimmy Carter speaks at a luncheon in the Tarrant County Convention Center in downtown Fort Worth on June 23, 1978. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
President Jimmy Carter, during a visit to Fort Worth in June 1978, received a T-shirt from Star-Telegram executive editor Jack Tinsley, left, that read “Foat Wuth, Ah Luv Yew!” He is joined by House Majority Leader Jim Wright, second from left, who was from Fort Worth, and Fort Worth Mayor Hugh Parmer, right. Willis Knight] Willis Knight Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives/UT Arlington Special Collections
The front page of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on June 24, 1978, reporting on President Jimmy Carter’s visit. Fort Worth Star-Telegram
MORE: Check out other historic photo galleries from the Star-Telegram archives here, including these:
Matt Leclercq was senior managing editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram from 2021 to 2026. He is now editor of The Charlotte Observer and can be reached at mleclercq@charlotteobserver.com.
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![President Jimmy Carter, during a visit to Fort Worth in June 1978, received a T-shirt from Star-Telegram executive editor Jack Tinsley, left, that read “Foat Wuth, Ah Luv Yew!” He is joined by House Majority Leader Jim Wright, second from left, who was from Fort Worth, and Fort Worth Mayor Hugh Parmer, right. Willis Knight]](https://www.star-telegram.com/public/latest-news/nn4cza/picture272564852/alternates/FREE_1200/10020001.jpg "10020001.jpg")
