1. Carolyn Joyce Hunt is an American educator and politician who, as the wife of Jim Hunt, served as the Second Lady of North Carolina from 1973 to 1977 and twice-served as the First Lady of North Carolina, from 1977 to 1985 and again from 1993 to 2001.
Carolyn Hunt is the longest serving first lady in North Carolina history and she and her husband were the first governor and first lady to serve two four-year terms in North Carolina.
Carolyn Hunt met her future husband, James Baxter Hunt II, at a National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry Youth Conference in Hamilton, Ohio.
Carolyn Hunt was a member of the National Grange Youth Committee and he was serving as the president of the North Carolina Grange Youth Chapter.
Carolyn Hunt moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, where she earned a bachelor's degree in primary education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
In 1964 the Carolyn Hunt family moved to the Kingdom of Nepal, where her husband served as a Ford Foundation economic adviser to the government.
Carolyn Hunt was named chairwoman of the advisory council of the office, and promoted volunteerism throughout North Carolina.
Carolyn Hunt organized the "Right to Read" project in Wilson County, promoting child literacy in public schools.
In 1977, while attending the National Governor's Conference, Carolyn Hunt was introduced to the Friendship Force International, an international exchange project promoting world peace through sharing cultures.
Carolyn Hunt did not initially make many changes to the North Carolina Executive Mansion during her husband's first term, with the exception of adding storm windows to the exterior and dampers in the fireplaces.
Carolyn Hunt later proposed a revision to the North Carolina General Assembly's statute governing the Executive Mansion Fine Arts Committee, which was approved.
Carolyn Hunt oversaw renovations to the institutional kitchen, added a first-floor waiting room, installed an automated lift at the front porch for handicapped guests, and restored and repaired antique furniture.
Carolyn Hunt acquired new pieces for the mansion, including twelve Chippendale-style side chairs featuring needlepoint seats made by women throughout North Carolina.
Carolyn Hunt located and framed photographs of all former North Carolinian first ladies who had lived in the mansion, putting them on display on a gallery wall.
Carolyn Hunt sewed the bridesmaids dresses that were worn during the ceremony.
Carolyn Hunt had previously designed and made two of her daughters' dresses for her husband's first inaugural ball.
Carolyn Hunt established the Bailey-Tucker House, a historic mansion near downtown Raleigh, as the state's official guest residence.
Carolyn Hunt served on the board of directors and the executive committee for Friendship Force International.
When her husband was reelected as governor in 1993, Carolyn Hunt used her position as first lady to focus on education, early childhood health, volunteerism, and women's health issues.
Carolyn Hunt volunteered weekly in local soup kitchens, hosted volunteering events at the Executive Mansion, and volunteered as a tutor and mentor at Lucille Hunter Elementary School and Fred J Carnage Middle School in Raleigh.
Carolyn Hunt replaced the portrait with another of former First Lady Jeanelle C Moore.
Carolyn Hunt displayed schoolchildren's artwork during tours of the Executive Mansion and, in 1993, implemented tours of the residence for blind visitors.
Carolyn Hunt visited several schools in Israel, and began a cultural exchange between an Israeli elementary school and a Raleigh school.