Billy Carter

William Alton "Billy" Carter was the fourth and youngest child of Lillian and James Earl Carter.^[3] He attended Emory University,^[4] served in the United States Marine Corps, and later worked in the Carter family's peanut business.^[5]

In 1970 Billy Carter was managing partner and 15% owner of the Carter family's peanut business.^[3] By 1976 Billy had increased revenues to $5 million per year.^[3]

In 1972, Carter purchased a gas and service station in Plains. He owned and operated it for most of the decade.^[6] At its peak he sold 2,000 cases of beer a month and more than 40,000 gallons of gas.^[5] In 2009, the station became the Billy Carter Service Station Museum,^[7] via the University of Georgia.^[5]

Carter ran for mayor of Plains in 1976 but lost the election, 97 to 71 votes, to A.L. Blanton,^[8] an Albany airport^[9] air traffic controller.^[10]

In the 1970s Billy Carter was the official spokesperson for Peanut Lolita liqueur.^[11]

In 1977, although a Pabst Blue Ribbon drinker,^[5] he endorsed Billy Beer, introduced by the Falls City Brewing Company, who wished to capitalize upon his colorful image as a beer-drinking Southern good ol' boy.^[12] Billy Carter's name was occasionally used as a gag answer for a Washington, D.C. trouble-maker on 1970s episodes of Match Game.^{[citation needed]} He was known for his outlandish public behavior;^[13] he once urinated on an airport runway in full view of the press and dignitaries.^[14]

By 1979 he drank half a gallon of vodka and whiskey a day.^[15] In February 1979 Carter was admitted to seven weeks of rehabilitation at the Long Beach, California Navy Hospital alcohol treatment facility where Betty Ford went for nearly four weeks.^[16][17] He later became sober and reportedly extended support to other addicts in their own recovery.^[15]

In late 1978 and early 1979, Billy Carter visited Libya three times with a contingent from Georgia. He eventually registered as a foreign agent of the Libyan government and received a $220,000 loan of which, The New York Times speculated,^[18] only $1,000 was repaid.^[19] However, Edwin P. Wilson claimed he had seen a telegram showing that Libya paid Billy Carter $2 million.^[20] This led to a Senate hearing on alleged influence peddling which the press named Billygate.^[21] A Senate sub-committee was called To Investigate Activities of Individuals Representing Interests of Foreign Governments (Billy Carter—Libya Investigation).^[22]

"I am deeply concerned that Billy has received funds from Libya and that he may be under obligation to Libya. These facts will govern my relationship with Billy as long as I am president. Billy has had no influence on U.S. policy or actions concerning Libya in the past, and he will have no influence in the future."

— Jimmy Carter, August 4, 1980^[23]

In 1981 he was forced to sell his Plains properties to pay taxes and debts and moved to Haleyville, Alabama selling for Tidwell Industries.^[24] In 1985 he became Vice President of Scott Housing Systems.^[24]

After Billy died his wife Sybil opened a cafe.^[25][12]

Carter was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the fall of 1987 and received unsuccessful treatments for the disease.^[26] He died in Plains the following year at age 51,^[27] five years after the death of his sister, Ruth Carter Stapleton, who also died of pancreatic cancer at age 54.^[18] Their father, James Earl Carter Sr., also died of the disease at the age of 58.

• Carter, William "Buddy" (1999) Billy Carter: A Journey Through the Shadows (ISBN 1-56352-553-4).
• Carter, Billy (1977). Rifkin, Jeremy; Howard, Ted (eds.). Redneck power : the wit and wisdom of Billy Carter. New York, New York: Bantam Books.^[28]

• List of scandals with "-gate" suffix

• Carter, Billy, 1937-1988 - U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
• FBI file on Billy Carter
• Billy Carter's "Redneck Power Pick-up" model
• "Billy Carter". Find a Grave. Retrieved February 10, 2009.