John,

It is with deep sadness that I share the passing of Governor James B. Hunt, Jr., the founder of The Hunt Institute, historic four-term North Carolina Governor and a national leader in education policy and public service and widely known as the nation’s first Education Governor.  

There's so much to say about a man who spent more than 50 years in public service, who transformed education in North Carolina and across the country, and who built institutions that will outlast all of us (we invite you to share your memories on our tribute page here). But what keeps coming back to me is something simpler.

Governor Hunt believed—truly believed—that every child deserved a shot at a good life, and that education was how you gave them that shot.

It wasn't rhetoric for him. It was personal. He grew up on a tobacco and dairy farm in Wilson County, watching his neighbors struggle because they didn't have the opportunities he'd been given. His mother was a teacher. His father worked in soil conservation. He saw what happened when people had access to education and economic opportunity, and what happened when they didn't.

These early life experiences shaped everything he did as a public servant. The development of Smart Start, because he knew you had to start early. Advocating higher teacher pay and the creation of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, because he knew great teachers made all the difference. Statewide kindergarten. Technology in every school. Policy grounded in research instead of politics.

And when he left office in 2001, he didn't stop. He founded The Hunt Institute because he believed state leaders across the country deserved what he'd always sought as governor: access to the best research, national resource experts, and a space to work across party lines without the noise and pressure of politics.

All of you have been part of that work. You've attended our convenings, participated in our programs, supported our mission, and partnered with us to strengthen education policy in your states. Governor Hunt built this organization for you. For leaders who care more about what works for students than what scores political points.

He used to say that being governor was "the best job in America" because "you can really make things happen." He made things happen. And then he built The Hunt Institute to help others do the same.

Today, I am sad that he's gone. That we won't get to call him for advice, or hear him talk about what's next, or watch him light up when someone told him about a policy win in their state. He had this way of making you feel like the work you were doing—the hard, unglamorous, often thankless work of improving education policy—actually mattered. That we should always “Do More.”

Because to him, the work was never finished.

So now, The Hunt Institute will continue his work. We'll keep supporting state leaders with research and bipartisan dialogue. We'll keep putting students and teachers first and evidence over politics. We'll keep bringing people together, because that's what he would have wanted.

But today, we're just sad. And grateful. Grateful that he dedicated his life to this work. Grateful that he built something designed to endure. Grateful that so many of you believed in his vision enough to be part of it.

Please keep the Hunt family especially Mrs. Carolyn Hunt, Lt. Governor Rachel Hunt and Baxter, Elizabeth, and Rebecca in your thoughts. We'll share information about memorial services as the family makes it available.

Thank you for being part of this community. Thank you for caring about education, teachers and students. And thank you for helping to carry forward the work Governor Hunt started.

With deep respect and love for his memory,
Javaid Siddiqi, Ph.D.
President & CEO
The Hunt Institute