Governor James B. Hunt, Jr., J.D.
Gov. Jim Hunt (1977-1985, 1993-2001) served four historic terms as governor of North Carolina. Under his leadership, North Carolina public schools improved test scores more than any other state in the 1990s, according to the Rand Corporation. Hunt focused on early childhood development and the improvement of quality of teaching. His Smart Start program received the prestigious Innovations in American Government Award from the Ford Foundation and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.