Gloria Carter Spann

Gloria Carter Spann (née Carter) was born on October 22, 1926, and died on March 5, 1990. She was an American motorcyclist and activist, and the younger sister of James Earl Carter Jr., the 39th president of the United States.

Family and Early Life:

Gloria Carter was the second of four children born to James Earl Carter, Sr., and Lillian Gordy Carter. She was the first daughter in the family. Her brother Jimmy was two years her senior. As children, she was known by the nickname "Go Go," given by her brother Jimmy. Accounts from her mother suggest that Gloria was among the most academically talented and outgoing among her siblings.

Education and Early Marriage:

Gloria Carter graduated from high school in June 1944 and enrolled at Georgia Southwestern College to study journalism. Her educational pursuits were interrupted when she married William Everett Hardy, a war hero from Americus, who was a former drugstore clerk. The marriage produced a son, William Everett (Hardy) Spann, born in 1946. The Carters disapproved of this marriage due to Hardy's background.

Later Life and Second Marriage:

In 1949, following significant abuse at Hardy’s hands and with her father's assistance, Gloria had her marriage annulled. On December 15, 1950, she married Walter Guy Spann, a farmer from Webster County, Georgia. Walter Spann adopted her son from her first marriage. Gloria and Walter Spann remained married until her death, and they did not have children together. Their marriage lasted nearly 40 years.

Religious and Personal Movements:

In 1964, Gloria Spann resigned from the Baptist church associated with her family after the church voted to maintain a ban on Black congregants.

Involvement in Politics:

Gloria Spann was active in her brother Jimmy Carter’s political campaigns prior to his election as president in 1976. She participated in campaign activities such as phone banking and mailing campaign materials. During the Carter presidency (1977–1981), she maintained a relatively low profile and avoided the public spotlight, despite her prior involvement in her brother’s political efforts.

Motorcycling and Activism:

Spann began cycling around 1967 and became recognized as a motorcyclist. She was one of the first women inducted into Harley-Davidson’s 100,000 Mile Club and was named the Most Outstanding Female Motorcyclist in 1978. Gloria and her husband became known as "den mother" and "den father" to other motorcyclists, often organizing gatherings such as planting gardens for bikers and providing accommodations in her farmhouse. She was also an activist for motorcycle rights and was involved in community activities related to motorcycling.

Published Work and Personal Challenges:

In 1977, Spann published a book of her mother’s letters, describing her mother’s work and perseverance during her time working for the Peace Corps in India. Her son, William Carter Spann, faced ongoing issues, including periods of wandering and expulsion from schools. Her son moved to California in 1969 and severed contact with the family. Spann sought spiritual comfort through her faith, especially after her son’s troubled life and her own personal experiences with distress and challenges.

Legal and Public Incidents:

In 1979, she was arrested for disorderly conduct after playing a harmonica in a restaurant in Americus, Georgia. During her life, Spann also received a phone threat related to her family’s political prominence and her brother Jimmy Carter’s presidency.

Death:

Gloria Carter Spann died from complications of pancreatic cancer at the age of 63 in 1990. Her father, sister Ruth Carter Stapleton, and brother Billy Carter also succumbed to pancreatic cancer.