Jim Hunt

Who they were

Personal life and death Hunt married Carolyn Leonard in 1958. [ 1 ] They had a son ( James Baxter Hunt III ) and three daughters (including Rachel Hunt , a former North Carolina state senator and, as of 2025 [update] , Lieutenant Governor of the state . [ 2 ] [ 3 ] Hunt died at his home in Lucama, North Carolina , on December 18, 2025, at the age of 88. [ 4 ] [ 5 ] Flags across the state of North Carolina would fly at half staff in his honor from December 19,

James Baxter Hunt Jr. was an American politician and attorney who was the 69th and 71st governor of North Carolina. He was the longest-serving governor in the state's history.

Early life

Educated at: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University.

Early life Hunt was born in Greensboro, North Carolina , on May 16, 1937, to James Baxter Hunt, a soil conservationist, and Elsie Brame Hunt, a schoolteacher. [ 1 ] When he was a child, the family moved to a farm outside of Wilson, North Carolina . [ 1 ] He was raised in the Free Will Baptist Church but later converted to Presbyterianism . [ 1 ] He was a graduate of North Carolina State College, now known as North Carolina State University , with a B.S. in agricultural education and a M.S.

Path and career

Awards / honours: Harold W. McGraw Prize in Education and North Carolina Award for Public Service.

Political career Hunt as Lieutenant Governor, c. 1973 From 1964 to 1966, Hunt was a Ford Foundation economic advisor in Nepal . [ 1 ] After working on several state and national campaigns for Democratic candidates and attending several Democratic conventions as a delegate, in addition to his work with the North Carolina Young Democratic Clubs, in 1972 he ran successfully for lieutenant governor . [ 2 ] He was sworn in on January 5, 1973. [ 3 ]

Why this date

Jim Hunt appears on our December 18 calendar for 2025 as a death entry.