Pat McCrory: Remembering Former NC Gov. Jim Hunt

Former Governor Pat McCrory joins Bo and Beth to share his memories of long time NC Governor Jim Hunt. Gov. Hunt passed away yesterday, he was 88 years old. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Eight thirty eight on News Talk one OZHO seven point
nine FMWBT Bo Thompson and Beth Troutman here covering several
stories giving people heavy hearts across the listening area and
across the world. Really, former NASCAR driver Greg Biffel, his wife,
and two children were killed in a plane crash Thursday

(00:22):
morning at States Full Regional Airport. Three others also killed
aboard that flight, seven people in all. And also the
news yesterday that's garnering a lot of reaction around North Carolina.
Governor Josh Stein says, I can't I can think of
no one who shaped North Carolina's recent successes as much
as Governor Jim Hunt. Governor for sixteen years. He was

(00:43):
a visionary who founded smart Start, raised teacher pay, protected
air quality, and created the North Carolina Biotech Center. On
a personal level, he was a mentor and a dear friend.
Enna and I are keeping Carolyn, Rachel and the entire
Hunt family in our thoughts and prayers. May Governor Hunt's
men memory be a blessing. He certainly was for North Carolina.
One more here before we get to our guest, Susan

(01:07):
and I, this is Senator Tom Tillis, Susan and I
are deeply saddened by the passing of Governor Jim Hunt,
who was one of the most consequential public servants in
North Carolina's history. His commitment to public education and economic
development made a profound impact on our state that continues
to this day. We send our deepest condolences to his
loving family. And this is a guy, Jim Hunt, who

(01:29):
was governor from nineteen seventy seven to nineteen eighty five
and then again in nineteen ninety three to two thousand
and one. So our next guest, also a former governor
of North Carolina. Pat McCrory, is back with us, and Pat,
I know you knew Jim Hunt very well and really
appreciate you coming on this morning to offer your condolences

(01:49):
and remembrances.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Well. I grew up with Jim Hunt in a way
when he was lieutenant governor. I was a junior in
high school at Ragsdale High School in Jamestown, North Carolina.
When I was at Guitar But College, he was elected
governor my junior year, and then when I became mayor
some twenties some years later, I worked with him very

(02:11):
closely during my first two terms as mayor on a
lot of important issues that we were trying to work
with Raleigh on, and he was always extremely receptive. He
always told me I was his favorite mayor, which he
told all the mayors in one in one talks, and
I used to enjoy that conversation. Then when I'd tell

(02:32):
other mayors, they'd say he told him the same thing,
and we got a big kick out of that. And
then when I was governor, he'd come to my office
office several times and meet in my office and give
me guidance and mentoring. And then even as a former governor,
he and I got together several times with other governors

(02:55):
to work on executive power issues and he and I
shared several together. I had a great deal of respect
for him. He had a huge impact in North Carolina.
He was the governor of North Carolina sixteen years. He
wasn't just a governor, he was the governor. And I'm
worned along with his family and a lot of people

(03:15):
throughout North Carolina about the impact he had on our state.

Speaker 3 (03:18):
Yeah, he held an office for as governor for five thousand,
eight hundred and thirty eight days. Because he had the
two different terms I guess as he worked as a
and was also a lieutenant governor as you mentioned, But
as you reflect on his life his legacy, you're in

(03:40):
a very small club with him as serving as an
executive of this state. What kind of groundwork did he
put in front of you that helped guide you even
in your time as governor. What groundwork did he lay
in his time that made maybe your job easier.

Speaker 2 (04:00):
Well, first of all, he was a great role model
on selling North Carolina. He was probably the best sales
person North Carolina's ever had in its history. You've had
to recognize in the seventies and eighties, big corporations didn't
even consider coming to North Carolina to place their business

(04:20):
into work. He traveled all over the United States and
all over the world to sell North Carolina, and no
one sold it better than Jim Hunt. Not only during
his tenure as governor, but also even after he was governor.
He sold our universities extremely well. He had a great
impact especially at NC State and Chapel Hill, both which

(04:42):
he attended, and he built the universities. And he had
a great interest in pre K education. And when he
met with me, I'll never forget I think in my
first month at office, he came to visit me and
he put his hand on my knee. He was selling me.
He said, you know, Governor, you're going to be the

(05:03):
greatest governor we've ever had. Man, you could be President
of the United States as long as you implement smart
Start and continue that in your budget. I mean you'd
see how he'd build you up and then he'd make
a sell. And I've never been with anyone who was
so persuasive in arguments, in building up one's ego, complimenting

(05:29):
them and then making the ask. And I remember after
I said, I'm committed to smart Start, I'm going to
continue your program. It's made a difference in preschool. I
remember getting up and thinking the meeting was over. Well,
Jim didn't stand up when I stood up. He still
had some more. He wanted to communicate. And that's the

(05:49):
kind of guy he was, and I really was. It
was an honor for me to get to know someone
that I grew up with, and we had a good
relationship and I appreciated as entoring and his guidance, and
he helped me a lot during Governor. The only time
you didn't want him around was during election time, because

(06:10):
he was a true Democrat who would work to defeat
you also, but he never crossed the line with me.
He always respected me when I held the mayor's office
and the governor's office, and we always had extremely cordial
communications and productive communications with each other. And I just
feel honored to have gotten to know him.

Speaker 1 (06:32):
So it just so happens that this past week, so
Jim Hunt passed away at the age of eighty eight.
But if I'm not mistaken, I've seen some of the
pictures of this. A few days ago, Jim Martin celebrated
his ninetieth birthday, and I know you were part of
that get together here in Charlotte. But you think about
two political forces in the eighties and of course nineties

(06:54):
as well. But Jim Martin and Jim Hunt intertwined in
North Carolina gubernatorial history.

Speaker 2 (07:00):
And they got along with each other. You know, Jim
Hunt was governor before Jim Martin and then governor after
Jim Martin's eight years, and you know when we'd all
go meet. In fact, you know, I now often drive
Jim Martin and I go to Raleigh together. I'll go
pick him up in Morrisville and we drove to Saulisbury
recently for Elizabeth Dole dedication for a highway, and we

(07:23):
had wonderful stories about Jim Hunt. In fact, all the
previous governors got together in the executive mansion with Josh
Stein about two months ago when Governor Hunt could not
come because of his health. And guess what we all
did in the library around a roundtable with Governor Stein.
We all told Jim Hunt stories.

Speaker 1 (07:44):
Okay, okay, Jim Hunt story.

Speaker 2 (07:46):
Respected the guy and Governor easily could imitate Jim Hunt.
We all tried to imitate him, and we all had stories,
but no one could imitate Jim Hunt like Mike Easley.
But that's a that's a compliment to someone.

Speaker 1 (08:02):
Okay, So Jim Hunt stories. Okay. I have a piece
of tape and this is from your show when you
and I did the show here several years back. I
think it was the second year we were doing it,
and Jim Hunt called in one day to talk about
some of those legislative battles over you know, executive limits

(08:23):
and such, and he told a story at the end
of the conversation. I don't know if you remember this,
but I want to replay this.

Speaker 2 (08:30):
Governor one of the greatest moments I've had since I
left the Governor's office was when you and myself and
Beverly Purdue and Mike Easley and Jim Martin gott in
an elevator to go up to the second floor of
the old Chambers and the elevator wouldn't move, And I
just thought that was the funniest dag I'm thing to
have five former governors stuck in an elevator. You suppose

(08:51):
the legislature it could have been a conspiracy, Huh.

Speaker 1 (08:59):
It was all of us working together because we're in
different parties, we come from different parts of the.

Speaker 3 (09:04):
State, but we know the history of North Carolina and
we worked for it.

Speaker 2 (09:09):
And more than that, the people voted for us.

Speaker 1 (09:12):
There was Jim Hunt on the old Pat McCrory show
talking about y'all all being stuck in an elevator.

Speaker 2 (09:18):
You know, I'd forgotten about that radio broadcast. I'm so
glad to hear that voice and that interaction.

Speaker 3 (09:24):
But wait, you forgot you did a show with Bo Thompson.

Speaker 1 (09:30):
See how quickly I've forgotten, killing me bad.

Speaker 2 (09:34):
That was a funny moment. You know, you had the
five governors in this very small elevator going up one
floor and the reason we took the elevator because Jim
was having Governor Hunt was having a very difficult time
walking at the time, and when it got stuck, I
remember cracking a joke, how many governors does it take
to get an elevator to move?

Speaker 3 (09:53):
Did y'all have a lovely conversation in the time you
were waiting for it to get back up and running?
Did you all just.

Speaker 2 (10:01):
We cracked jokes? I think Beverly Purdue cracked a very
funny joke at the time and we were laughing. And
I think that shows the strength of respecting each other
who held the same office and liking each other even
though we were foes in the political spectrum. And Hunt

(10:22):
was the leader of this and now Jim Martin will
take over that leadership role and he'll do it well.
And it's nice knowing that Jim Hunt and Jim Martin
had a lot of respect for each other, And of
course I have the ultimate respect for Governor Martin also,
So he will take over this role, and but we

(10:44):
will never forget the impact that Jim Hunt had on
this state.

Speaker 1 (10:49):
Well, I'm glad, I'm glad we had something played with
all of us. I'm glad we had some audio of
him to play back here during the time we talked
to you, because that was a great story. And look,
we appreciate you coming on this morning. I can't imagine
anyone better to talk about the legacy than another former
governor who, like Beth says, has been in that unique
club and knows what it's like. So thank you.

Speaker 2 (11:10):
Well, I really meant a lot that you brought up
that it's great to hear his voice and there was
no better voice, and Mike easily if he were on
right now, we wouldn't know the difference if he tried
to imitate him. And again, out of pure respect for
Jim Hunt and our prayers with his entire family, and

(11:32):
also I'm so sad about the disaster and in Statesville.
I'm mourning with that those families impacted.

Speaker 1 (11:41):
Absolutely absolutely, Well, thank you for coming on. We appreciate
it so much.

Speaker 2 (11:45):
God bless you both. Thank you very much,