At just 21 years old, Ruben Smith found himself giving his father a tour of the White House — a surreal moment that turned unforgettable when President Jimmy Carter strolled out of the Oval Office to the Rose Garden and greeted them in Spanish.
The next night, at the White House Christmas party, Smith said Carter remembered their meeting and shared a drink with Smith’s father, chatting as if they were old friends.
For Smith, now an attorney living in Santa Ana, that brief encounter captured Carter’s enduring legacy: a leader whose humanity and integrity shaped not just policies, but lives.
“He took the time to get to know him, and of course, the next night was the Christmas party, and they’re hanging out by the bar just like they’re old friends,” Smith said. “He was that kind of a man. A very personable president who remembered meeting my dad the night before and took the time to say a few words and have a drink. From a personal standpoint, that, for me, highlighted what a great individual he was.”
Carter, who died Dec. 29 at the age of 100, is widely remembered for his humanitarian efforts, both during and after his presidency. He also made significant strides in representation for the Latino population, appointing a record number of Latinos to key positions in his administration and more Latino federal judges than any president before him. In 1976, following Carter’s election, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus was formed.
As a staff assistant to Esteban Torres, Carter’s special assistant for Hispanic affairs who later served in Congress for eight terms, Smith said he was given the opportunity to work on initiatives impacting Latino communities, including issues related to health, welfare and economic development.
Every morning at 7 a.m., Smith said he would sit in on meetings with key staff, including the chief of staff and the press secretary, where they reviewed national polls to gauge public opinion on various issues.
“From that we would talk about policy strategies … and it was just a phenomenal experience to be in those meetings to hear what America was thinking and how the president was responding,” he said.
From Carter’s single term in the White House, Smith recalled some of the administration’s most impactful policies for Latinos, such as bilingual education and his strong support for civil rights. He said Carter left him with a lasting lesson: “Always do the right thing, regardless of the cost.”
“He had principles … and I believe he was willing to sacrifice his political career based on doing what was right,” Smith said.
Inspired by Carter’s commitment to service, Smith said he became involved with Habitat for Humanity over the years. After Carter left office, Smith pursued his own path of service by attending Yale Law School. He’s now a partner at the Santa Ana-based law firm Frost Brown Todd.
“The biggest thing I learned was to help the person that’s closest to you, because that’s the biggest impact you’re going to have. Being a lawyer has been great because it’s allowed me to do that … when people have issues and needs, I get to represent them and help them reach their dreams or deal with their issues,” he said. “And that’s really consistent with the principle that Carter embodied, which is to help those around you.”
The official state funeral for Carter will be held on Thursday, Jan. 9, at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
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