Correspondent Stanley Cloud first met Jimmy Carter some 15 months ago while reporting for our "Candidates '76" series on the presidential hopefuls. Cloud flew to New Hampshire to join the Carter campaign because "it seemed a good time to take a look at an outsider and a dark horse." Though he arrived late one night at the Ramada Inn where Carter was staying, Cloud decided to touch base with Jody Powell, the candidate's press secretary. He called a number obtained from the room clerk. A sleepy voice answered in a soft Southern accent. "Mr. Powell?" Cloud asked. "No," the still groggy voice replied. "This is Jimmy."

Cloud did not ask "Jimmy who?"--though many other Americans often did in those days. None would today. After one of the most astonishing rises to power in the history of the republic, Jimmy is less than a month away from being sworn in as President. He was a natural choice as TIME's Man of the Year. Nevertheless, as always, TIME's editors made the selection only after reviewing the events of the past year and discussing the newsmakers who shaped those events. Then a contingent of TIME staffers disappeared from their regular offices and began working on the cover under cover. Secrecy remained the watchword, though we must agree that the only surprise would have been if we had not chosen Carter.

Carter is a familiar figure to many who worked on the Man of the Year project. Carter met for lunch with the Nation section in March 1975. Recalls Associate Editor James Atwater, who wrote this week's cover story: "I saw a very agile and retentive mind at work." Nation Editor Marshall Loeb, who edited the story, joined Carter on a campaign swing last January. "He was never glib," says Loeb. "He had a phenomenal grasp of the issues." Reporter-Researchers Eileen Chiu and Anne Hopkins steeped themselves in Carter's background and closely followed his progress through the year.

To top off the preparation for the cover, Chief of Correspondents Murray Gart, Washington Bureau Chief Hugh Sidey, Correspondent Bonnie Angelo and Cloud interviewed the President-elect in his Plains home last week. Carter had been told by Powell three weeks ago that he was TIME's Man of the Year. His response: "Oh really? I hadn't given any consideration to that." At the time, Carter's mind was preoccupied with selection of his Cabinet. Much of his deliberation took place in his study, overlooked by a framed portrait that ran on the cover of TIME in May 1971--a cover that first focused national attention on the then Governor of Georgia.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.