Jack R. Hunt, for whom the Hunt Library is named, was appointed President of the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Institute in 1963. Under his leadership, the institution was relocated from Miami to Daytona ..
Jack R. Hunt, for whom the Hunt Library is named, was appointed President of the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Institute in 1963. Under his leadership, the institution was relocated from Miami to Daytona Beach, gained accreditation, achieved university status and expanded to include the Prescott and what is now the Worldwide campuses. Through his hard work and dedication, Embry-Riddle grew from an institute of fewer than 300 students to a fully accredited University with thousands of students across the globe. In 1942, Hunt joined the Navy and was trained in lighter-than-air and heavier-than-air aviation. His most famous flight was aboard the Navy blimp, ZPG-2 Snowbird. In 1957, Commander Hunt set the record for the longest non-refueled sustained flight by flying 9,448 miles from Massachusetts to Europe, Africa, and then to Florida. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by Fleet Admiral Halsey and and the Harmon International Trophy by President Dwight Eisenhower for this achievement.
