Jim Hunt
Encyclopedia
James Baxter Hunt Jr. (born May 16, 1937) is an American politician who was the 69th and 71st Governor
of the state of North Carolina
(1977–1985, and 1993–2001). He is the longest-serving governor in the state's history.
.
He is a graduate of North Carolina State University
, with a B.S.
in agricultural education and a M.S.
in agricultural economics. He also served as Student Body President
. In 1964, he received a J.D.
from the University of North Carolina School of Law
. He went on to serve as the President of the Young Democratic Clubs of North Carolina, now known as the Young Democrats of North Carolina
.
to have been elected to four terms. He was first elected Governor in 1976 over Republican David Flaherty and was re-elected in 1980, defeating I. Beverly Lake
. He previously served a term as Lieutenant Governor
(1973–1977) under Republican Governor James Holshouser. Hunt supported a constitutional change during his first term that allowed him to be the first North Carolina governor to run for a second consecutive term.
s in the Democratic National Convention
.
, and left elective politics for several years. He returned in 1992 and defeated Republican Lt. Governor and Hardees executive Jim Gardner
to win the Governorship. Hunt was re-elected by a large margin over future US Congressman Robin Hayes
in 1996. He left office in January 2001, and was replaced by fellow Democrat, Attorney General Mike Easley
.
and, with his wife Carolyn, he urged its approval by the state legislature (which failed to ratify it by two votes). Hunt was an early proponent of teaching standards and early childhood education, gaining national recognition for the Smart Start
program for pre-kindergarten
ers. In 2000 he was mentioned as a possible Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States
or Education Secretary
for Al Gore
had Gore been successful in the 2000 presidential race. 2004 Democratic
nominee Sen. John Kerry
was likewise considering Hunt for Vice President or Secretary of Education had he won, and he was considered a candidate to be Barack Obama
's Secretary of Education.
Hunt served on the Carnegie Task Force, which created the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
and more recently on the Spellings Commission on the Future of Higher Education.
As Governor Hunt was involved in a variety of efforts to promote technology and technology-based economic development, including the establishment of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, and the North Carolina School of Science and Math. He was also very successful at recruiting business to his state.
Hunt was criticized for allowing Darryl Hunt
(no close relation known) to remain in prison for twenty years after the wrongfully convicted Winston-Salem man was exonerated by exculpatory DNA evidence which pointed to another perpetrator. Darryl Hunt was pardoned by the succeeding Governor, Mike Easley. During his terms in office Hunt oversaw 13 executions (two during his first period in office, 11 during his second), including the first post-Furman execution of a female (Velma Barfield
) and the first post-Furman execution in North Carolina (James W. Hutchins
).
and miniature pony, "Herbie".
Governor Hunt chairs the Board of Directors of two institutes which he founded, The James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy
at UNC-Chapel Hill, and the Institute for Emerging Issues at N.C. State University in Raleigh. He also serves on the North Carolina Advisory Board of DonorsChoose
.
, James B. Hunt High School in Wilson County, North Carolina
, and James B. Hunt, Jr. Residence Hall at North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
are all named after Governor Hunt. An authorized biography of Hunt, authored by former press secretary Gary Pearce, was released in the fall of 2010. The M/V Gov. James B. Hunt, Jr. is the primary ferry on the Currituck Sound
route, making daily runs between Currituck and Knotts Island, operated by the North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division.
Governor of North Carolina
The Governor of North Carolina is the chief executive of the State of North Carolina, one of the U.S. states. The current governor is Bev Perdue, North Carolina's first female governor.-Powers:...
of the state of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
(1977–1985, and 1993–2001). He is the longest-serving governor in the state's history.
Early life
Hunt was born in Wilson, North CarolinaWilson, North Carolina
Wilson is a city and the county seat of Wilson County in the Coastal Plain region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The 18th largest city in the state, Wilson had a population of 49,167 according to the 2010 census.- Geography :...
.
He is a graduate of North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
, with a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in agricultural education and a M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in agricultural economics. He also served as Student Body President
Student body president
The President of the Student Government is the highest ranking officer of a student government or student union association on the high school, college, or university level...
. In 1964, he received a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from the University of North Carolina School of Law
University of North Carolina School of Law
The University of North Carolina School of Law is a professional school within the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Established in 1845, Carolina Law is among the oldest law schools in the nation and is the oldest law school in North Carolina. It is consistently ranked in the top-tier...
. He went on to serve as the President of the Young Democratic Clubs of North Carolina, now known as the Young Democrats of North Carolina
Young Democrats of North Carolina
The Young Democrats of North Carolina are the official youth arm of the North Carolina Democratic Party . As an auxiliary organization of the NCDP, the officers of the YDNC serve as part of the State Executive Committee of the NCDP...
.
Political career
Hunt is the only Governor of North CarolinaGovernor of North Carolina
The Governor of North Carolina is the chief executive of the State of North Carolina, one of the U.S. states. The current governor is Bev Perdue, North Carolina's first female governor.-Powers:...
to have been elected to four terms. He was first elected Governor in 1976 over Republican David Flaherty and was re-elected in 1980, defeating I. Beverly Lake
I. Beverly Lake
I. Beverly Lake, Jr. is an American jurist and public official, who served as chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court....
. He previously served a term as Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
The Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina is the second highest elected official in the U.S. state of North Carolina and is the only elected official to have powers in both the legislative and executive branches of state government...
(1973–1977) under Republican Governor James Holshouser. Hunt supported a constitutional change during his first term that allowed him to be the first North Carolina governor to run for a second consecutive term.
Hunt Commission
In 1981 Hunt chaired the Hunt Commission, named after himself, which established superdelegateSuperdelegate
"Superdelegate" is an informal term commonly used for some of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the United States Democratic Party....
s in the Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
.
U.S. Senate Run
In 1984 he lost a bitterly contested race for the U.S. Senate seat held by Jesse HelmsJesse Helms
Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr. was a five-term Republican United States Senator from North Carolina who served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1995 to 2001...
, and left elective politics for several years. He returned in 1992 and defeated Republican Lt. Governor and Hardees executive Jim Gardner
James Carson Gardner
James Carson "Jim" Gardner is a North Carolina businessman and politician who served as a U.S. Representative and as Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina ....
to win the Governorship. Hunt was re-elected by a large margin over future US Congressman Robin Hayes
Robin Hayes
Robert Cannon "Robin" Hayes is the current chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party. For five terms from 1999 to 2009, he represented North Carolina's 8th congressional district in the House of Representatives.-Early life:...
in 1996. He left office in January 2001, and was replaced by fellow Democrat, Attorney General Mike Easley
Mike Easley
Michael Francis "Mike" Easley is an American politician who served as the 72nd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina, from 2001 to 2009. He is member of the North Carolina Democratic Party and became the first North Carolina governor to admit to a felony in a deal that halted a lengthy...
.
Actions and political views
In the 1970s Governor Hunt was a supporter of the Equal Rights AmendmentEqual Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and, in 1923, it was introduced in the Congress for the first time...
and, with his wife Carolyn, he urged its approval by the state legislature (which failed to ratify it by two votes). Hunt was an early proponent of teaching standards and early childhood education, gaining national recognition for the Smart Start
Smart Start (education)
Smart Start is a North Carolina public-private initiative, founded in 1993, that provides funding to local non-profit organizations throughout the state to "ensure that young children enter school healthy and ready to succeed". Smart Start funding supports child care, efforts to reduce the cost of...
program for pre-kindergarten
Pre-Kindergarten
Pre-kindergarten refers to the first formal academic classroom-based learning environment that a child customarily attends in the United States. It begins between the ages of 3-5 depending on the length of the program...
ers. In 2000 he was mentioned as a possible Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
or Education Secretary
United States Secretary of Education
The United States Secretary of Education is the head of the Department of Education. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet, and 16th in line of United States presidential line of succession...
for Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
had Gore been successful in the 2000 presidential race. 2004 Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nominee Sen. John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
was likewise considering Hunt for Vice President or Secretary of Education had he won, and he was considered a candidate to be Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's Secretary of Education.
Hunt served on the Carnegie Task Force, which created the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting excellence in education. Founded in 1987, NBPTS improves teaching and student learning by enhancing overall educator effectiveness and recognizing and rewarding highly...
and more recently on the Spellings Commission on the Future of Higher Education.
As Governor Hunt was involved in a variety of efforts to promote technology and technology-based economic development, including the establishment of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, and the North Carolina School of Science and Math. He was also very successful at recruiting business to his state.
Hunt was criticized for allowing Darryl Hunt
Darryl Hunt
Darryl Hunt is an African American man from Winston-Salem, North Carolina who, in 1984, was wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of a young white newspaper copy editor, Deborah Sykes, but was later exonerated by DNA evidence...
(no close relation known) to remain in prison for twenty years after the wrongfully convicted Winston-Salem man was exonerated by exculpatory DNA evidence which pointed to another perpetrator. Darryl Hunt was pardoned by the succeeding Governor, Mike Easley. During his terms in office Hunt oversaw 13 executions (two during his first period in office, 11 during his second), including the first post-Furman execution of a female (Velma Barfield
Velma Barfield
Margie Velma Barfield was a serial killer, convicted of six murders. She was the first woman in the United States to be executed after the 1976 resumption of capital punishment and the first since 1962...
) and the first post-Furman execution in North Carolina (James W. Hutchins
James W. Hutchins
James W. Hutchins was convicted of the murders of three NC law enforcement officers. The incident was the largest one-day homicide of law enforcement officers in North Carolina history...
).
Retirement
Governor Hunt currently is a member of the law firm of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice PLLC, in its Raleigh office. He also enjoys spending his time on his farm looking after his Simmental CattleSimmental Cattle
Simmental cattle are a versatile breed of cattle originating in the valley of the Simme river, in the Bernese Oberland of western Switzerland.-European origin:...
and miniature pony, "Herbie".
Governor Hunt chairs the Board of Directors of two institutes which he founded, The James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy
The James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy
The James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy was founded at the close of Governor James B. Hunt, Jr.'s fourth term as governor of North Carolina to carry on his legacy as an advocate for quality education for all children....
at UNC-Chapel Hill, and the Institute for Emerging Issues at N.C. State University in Raleigh. He also serves on the North Carolina Advisory Board of DonorsChoose
DonorsChoose
DonorsChoose.org is a United States based nonprofit organization that provides a way for people to donate directly to specific projects at public schools ....
.
Religion
Hunt is Presbyterian and attends First Presbyterian Church of Wilson, NC.Legacy
James B. Hunt, Jr. Library at North Carolina State University Centennial CampusNorth Carolina State University Centennial Campus
Centennial Campus is a research park and educational campus owned and operated by North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Composed of two locations, the property provides office and lab space for corporate, governmental and not-for-profit entities, in addition to providing...
, James B. Hunt High School in Wilson County, North Carolina
Wilson County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2006, there 73,814 people, 28,613 households, and 19,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 199 people per square mile . There were 30,729 housing units at an average density of 83 per square mile...
, and James B. Hunt, Jr. Residence Hall at North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics is a two-year, public residential high school located in Durham, North Carolina, that focuses on the intensive study of science, mathematics and technology. The school accepts rising juniors from across North Carolina and enrolls them through...
are all named after Governor Hunt. An authorized biography of Hunt, authored by former press secretary Gary Pearce, was released in the fall of 2010. The M/V Gov. James B. Hunt, Jr. is the primary ferry on the Currituck Sound
Currituck Sound
Currituck Sound is a protected inlet of the Atlantic Ocean in northeastern part of North Carolina. Thirty miles N-S and 3–8 miles wide, this shallow, island-filled sound is separated from the ocean by Bodie Island, part of the Outer Banks...
route, making daily runs between Currituck and Knotts Island, operated by the North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division.
Quotations
- "Education is our future it’s everything. We must not settle for anything short of excellence in our schools."
External links
- News & Observer profile
- Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC Biography
- UNC-TV: Biographical Conversations with James B. Hunt, Jr.
- Oral History Interviews with James B. Hunt http://docsouth.unc.edu/sohp/C-0329/menu.html, http://docsouth.unc.edu/sohp/C-0331/menu.html, http://docsouth.unc.edu/sohp/C-0332/menu.html from Oral Histories of the American South
- James B. Hunt Political Campaign Audiovisual Material, 1980-1997