News Article

DURHAM, N.C.—Womble Carlyle attorney and former four-term North Carolina Governor James B. Hunt, Jr., was honored by Duke University with an honorary degree at the university’s May 15^th commencement.
 

As North Carolina’s only four-term governor, Gov. Hunt’s leadership in both education and business sectors has been recognized, in part, for transforming North Carolina from a manufacturing focused state into one with a knowledge-driven economy. During his tenure, North Carolina consistently ranked at the top of the nation in economic growth, job creation and capital investment, and was nationally recognized for its business climate. He established the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, the Microelectronics Center of North Carolina, and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics to position North Carolina for the future.

 

Today, Gov. Hunt leads Womble Carlyle’s Economic Development practice, which has been successful at helping the state create an attractive, pro-business environment. The North Carolina Economic Developers Association (NCEDA) recently recognized Gov. Hunt’s dedication to improving the state’s economy by awarding him the NCEDA President’s Award. The rarely bestowed award honors a career of commitment to economic development efforts in the state.

 

Gov. Hunt chairs the board of directors of two institutes he founded: The James B. Hunt Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the Institute for Emerging Issues at North Carolina State University. Recently, Jim Hunt: A Biography, a book that chronicles the historic career of Gov. Hunt, was released. The biography was written by Gary Pearce, one of Gov. Hunt’s closest advisors.
 

He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from N.C. State University and a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.