A Pilgrimage to ‘Jimmy Carter World’

Ryan Ramos can’t contain his smile as he takes a seat at President Jimmy Carter’s desk. (All photos: The Carter Center)

The Carter Center welcomes its fair share of dignitaries. Think ambassadors, thought leaders, and heads of state. But earlier this week, a special buzz hung in the air for a different kind of guest, who arrived clinging to his mother’s leg.

Ryan Ramos, 5, is the President Jimmy Carter superfan who shot to social media fame last fall after he had a Jimmy Carter-themed birthday party. He sported a “Carter for President” T-shirt and smiled beside a cake decorated with his favorite president’s image. By Christmas, he was giddy on TikTok, showing off his “Jimmy jammies,” PJs adorned with you-know-who’s face, and a similarly themed pillow and blanket.

On Monday, following an 11-hour road trip from his home in New Jersey, he and his family made a pilgrimage to the Center — or what he calls “Jimmy Carter World.”

Ryan Ramos and Jason Carter shake hands
Ryan Ramos, seen here with his mother, Lauren, is greeted by President and Mrs. Carter’s grandson, Jason Carter, as daughter, Amy Carter, and grandson, Josh Carter, look on.

Members of the Carter family greeted the special visitors and offered an insider’s tour of President Carter’s office, First Lady Rosalynn Carter’s office, and the modest 500-square-foot apartment the couple stayed in one week a month for 40 years.

Ryan’s eyes lit up when he saw a model of the USS Jimmy Carter submarine. He stroked the soft wood of a chair, made by the 39th president himself. He ogled awards, including a Grammy, studied family photos, and beamed from the seat behind President Carter’s desk — a replica of the Resolute desk he used in the White House.

The young boy’s fixation with Jimmy Carter began at age 3, after he learned about Presidents Day and received an interactive chart of all the presidents. Of the living presidents, he was drawn first to President Carter’s age. Then, the obsession became about how President Carter lived his long life, doing good for others.

Ryan and CJ stand over President Carter's desk.
Ryan and his brother, CJ, admire the treasures on President Jimmy Carter’s desk.

He and his supportive older brother, CJ, went on to build a child’s playhouse while volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. Ryan reportedly sobbed when President Carter died. And on Jimmy Carter’s birthday, he brought a Jimmy Carter book to school for his teacher to share with the class.

“People in the world have forgotten to be decent human beings and nice to everyone,” said Ryan’s mother, Lauren Ramos. “I’m just so proud of him for recognizing such a kind soul and trying to do good.”

While the visit may have been a dream come true for Ryan, who left with bags of swag, it turned out to be about more than just him.

“We’ve all just been so excited about what he has done to bring some light and life to my grandfather’s legacy,” said Jason Carter, chair of the Center’s board of trustees. “What a present for us, a great gift to us, that one of the things he’s discovering is Jimmy Carter and this legacy of kindness and love and human rights.”