Jimmy Carter and Gerald R. Ford faced off in 1976 in a bitter campaign but later bonded as few presidents have — and made a pact to speak at each other’s funerals.

Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford may have started as political rivals, but they formed a tight bond behind the scenes, a former White House staffer tells PEOPLE. Their connection would span dec

As a member of the elite, informal club of U.S. presidents past and present, Jimmy Carter was uniquely positioned to do important work for his successors, whether Democrat or Republican.

As Gerald Ford’s chief White House photographer, David Hume Kennerly was able to get exclusive access to many scenes from Jimmy Carter’s presidential transition.

Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter ran a heated campaign against incumbent President Gerald Ford. But in a development that seems increasingly foreign to today's partisan environment, the two political foes became friends after Carter himself left the White House.

"My understanding is that there is a eulogy written that Ford himself did write, and Ford's son Steve will be delivering it at the funeral."

Famously competitive and sometimes abrasive, Jimmy Carter had many political rivalries, but he also was determined to reconcile with adversaries.

Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford developed a strong friendship post-presidency, despite being political rivals. Their bond was marked by joint ventures and personal connections, providing mutual support beyond political divides.

Carter and Ford spoke regularly, teamed up as co-leaders on dozens of projects and decided together which events they’d attend or skip in tandem.

Jimmy Carter, who considered himself an outsider even as he sat in the Oval Office as the 39th U.S. president, will be honored Thursday with the pageantry of a funeral at Washington National Cathedral before a second service and burial in his tiny Georgia hometown.