Leigh S. J. Hunt (August 1855 – October 5, 1933) was an American businessman. He is best known as the third president of

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...

(1885-1886), and as publisher of the ''

Seattle Post-Intelligencer The ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' (popularly known as the ''Seattle P-I'', the ''Post-Intelligencer'', or simply the ''P-I'') is an online newspaper and former print newspaper based in Seattle, Washington, United States. The newspaper was foun ...

'' from 1886 to 1893. The community of

Hunts Point, Washington Hunts Point is a town in the Eastside, a region of King County, Washington, United States, and part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The town is on a small peninsula surrounded by Lake Washington, and is near the suburbs of Medina (to the ...

bears his name.

Biography

Early life and education

Leigh Smith James Hunt was born on a farm near

Columbia City, Indiana Columbia City is a city in Columbia Township, Whitley County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 9,892 (2020 Census), growing by 13% since the 2010 Census. The city is the county seat of Whitley County. History The Whitley County ...

, in August 1855. His parents, Franklin and Martha (Long) Hunt, were natives of the same State. Hunt earned an undergraduate degree from

Middlebury College Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all ...

via

correspondence course Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at a school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance. Traditionally, this usually in ...

and studied law on his own before passing the Indiana bar exam.

Career

After completing his education in 1879 he went to

Cedar Falls, Iowa Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 40,713. It is home to the University of Northern Iowa, a public university. History Cedar Falls was first settled in March 1845 by ...

, and engaged in teaching school, subsequently becoming Principal. There he established his reputation as an educator, and some time later he was engaged as Superintendent of the Schools at

Mount Pleasant, Iowa Mount Pleasant is a city in and the county seat of Henry County, Iowa. The population was 9,274 in the 2020 census, an increase from 8,668 in the 2010 census. It was founded in 1835 by pioneer Presley Saunders. History The first permanent s ...

(1880) and

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

(1882) and still later as President of the State Agricultural College at Ames, Iowa (now the

). In 1886, he went to Seattle and purchased the ''

'', which he owned and published until 1893. His later career included real estate development, operating a gold mine in Korea, growing cotton in Sudan (1904-1910), and mining and land development in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Huntridge neighborhood in Las Vegas was developed on land that was his farm.

Marriage and children

Hunt and his wife Jessie Noble Hunt (c. 1862–1960) were married in 1885 and had two children: *Henry Leigh Hunt (1886-1972), 1st husband (1925-1930s) of

Louise Lévêque de Vilmorin Marie Louise Lévêque de Vilmorin (4 April 1902 – 26 December 1969) was a French novelist, poet and journalist. Vilmorin was best known as a writer of delicate but mordant tales, often set in aristocratic or artistic milieu. Early life Born ...

(1902-1969), French novelist and seed heiress. They had three daughters: Jessie, Alexandra, and Helena. *Helen Hunt Rives (1893-1996)

References

*An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev.

Harvey K. Hines Harvey Kimball Hines (1828–1902) was a Methodist minister and an early historian of the U.S. state of Oregon. In 1878 he ran for Congress, and drew criticism for neglecting his religious vows in so doing. He was known, along with Frances Fuller ...

, D.D., The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893, pages 346
Far Outliers: Leigh S. J. Hunt (1854-1933), Adventuresome Capitalist Iowa State University Third President Leigh S. J. HuntLeigh S.J. Hunt papers - Special Collections, UWashingtonLibraries
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunt, Leigh S. J. 1855 births 1933 deaths 19th-century American newspaper publishers (people) People from Columbia City, Indiana Presidents of Iowa State University People from Cedar Falls, Iowa Seattle Post-Intelligencer people School superintendents in Iowa