Remembering Jim Hunt
Along with the tributes from elected officials past and present, I’ve been moved by the reactions to Governor Jim Hunt’s death from educators, journalists and political adversaries.
N.C. State University Chancellor Kevin Howell saluted him as “a proud NC State alumnus and one of the greatest ambassadors for education in our state’s history.”
Howell added, “Transferring the first portion of land for what is now Centennial Campus 41 years ago this month, Gov. Hunt’s vision laid the foundation for a thriving public-private research park which drives innovation and economic growth for North Carolina, ensuring his alma mater lives up to the mission of teaching, research and service that reflected his hopes and dreams for the citizens of our state.”
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards remembered Governor Hunt as “a visionary leader whose commitment to education transformed the teaching profession and expanded opportunity for millions of students nationwide.”
It added:
“Governor Hunt was instrumental in founding the National Board and served as its first Board Chair for ten years, championing the audacious idea that accomplished teaching matters. His leadership established National Board Certification as the profession’s most respected, rigorous standard for what teachers should know and be able to do to support all students. His belief in teachers as agents of change reshaped the national conversation about educational excellence and equity.”
The Hunt Institute, which he founded in 2001, said, “his legacy lives on in every policy shaped by research, every teacher supported, and every student whose future is strengthened by education.”
Journalists had unique takes.
Jonathan Martin wrote in The New York Times that Hunt “burnished North Carolina’s reputation as a beacon of moderation in the South over four terms as governor, but … lost a Senate race against a hard-right Republican that might have vaulted him toward the presidency.”
Clay Johnson, who covered Hunt as a reporter and WRAL documentary producer and worked as his deputy press secretary, recalled that he was the same on and off camera. He remembered the Governor’s “genuine nature and commitment to the betterment of the state,”
Veteran journalist Barry Saunders told about “that time Jim Hunt rushed to my aid” when South African police tried to keep Barry out of the country.
Those who disagreed with him politically saluted him.
John Hood said in the conservative Carolina Journal that “Hunt’s pragmatism served our state well.”
Carter Wrenn wrote about Hunt’s “old-fashioned virtues” – and their unexpected encounter at one of the Hunt-Helms debates in 1984.
These wide-ranging tributes attest to the breadth of Governor Hunt’s accomplishments, the depth of his character, and the warmth he always showed to people.
Thank you all.
Remembering Jim Hunt
Along with the tributes from elected officials past and present, I’ve been moved by the reactions to Governor Jim Hunt’s death from educators, journalists and political adversaries.
N.C. State University Chancellor Kevin Howell saluted him as “a proud NC State alumnus and one of the greatest ambassadors for education in our state’s history.”
Howell added, “Transferring the first portion of land for what is now Centennial Campus 41 years ago this month, Gov. Hunt’s vision laid the foundation for a thriving public-private research park which drives innovation and economic growth for North Carolina, ensuring his alma mater lives up to the mission of teaching, research and service that reflected his hopes and dreams for the citizens of our state.”
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards remembered Governor Hunt as “a visionary leader whose commitment to education transformed the teaching profession and expanded opportunity for millions of students nationwide.”
It added:
“Governor Hunt was instrumental in founding the National Board and served as its first Board Chair for ten years, championing the audacious idea that accomplished teaching matters. His leadership established National Board Certification as the profession’s most respected, rigorous standard for what teachers should know and be able to do to support all students. His belief in teachers as agents of change reshaped the national conversation about educational excellence and equity.”
The Hunt Institute, which he founded in 2001, said, “his legacy lives on in every policy shaped by research, every teacher supported, and every student whose future is strengthened by education.”
Journalists had unique takes.
Jonathan Martin wrote in The New York Times that Hunt “burnished North Carolina’s reputation as a beacon of moderation in the South over four terms as governor, but … lost a Senate race against a hard-right Republican that might have vaulted him toward the presidency.”
Clay Johnson, who covered Hunt as a reporter and WRAL documentary producer and worked as his deputy press secretary, recalled that he was the same on and off camera. He remembered the Governor’s “genuine nature and commitment to the betterment of the state,”
Veteran journalist Barry Saunders told about “that time Jim Hunt rushed to my aid” when South African police tried to keep Barry out of the country.
Those who disagreed with him politically saluted him.
John Hood said in the conservative Carolina Journal that “Hunt’s pragmatism served our state well.”
Carter Wrenn wrote about Hunt’s “old-fashioned virtues” – and their unexpected encounter at one of the Hunt-Helms debates in 1984.
These wide-ranging tributes attest to the breadth of Governor Hunt’s accomplishments, the depth of his character, and the warmth he always showed to people.
Thank you all.