John E. Hunt | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew Jersey's1st district | |
| In office January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1975 | |
| Preceded by | William T. Cahill |
| Succeeded by | James Florio |
| Member of theNew Jersey Senate | |
| In office January 14, 1964 – January 3, 1967 Serving with Frank S. Farley(1966–1967) | |
| Preceded by | Thomas F. Connery, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Seat remained vacant[1] |
| Constituency | Gloucester County(1964–1966) 1st district(1966–1967) |
| Sheriff ofGloucester County | |
| In office 1959–1963 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1908-11-25)November 25, 1908 Lambertville, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | September 22, 1989(1989-09-22) (aged 80) Woodbury, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Doris |
| Children | 1 |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1942–1946 |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | 456th Bomb Group |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
John Edmund Hunt (November 25, 1908 – September 22, 1989) was an AmericanRepublican Party politician who representedNew Jersey's1st congressional district in theUnited States House of Representatives from 1967 to 1975.[2]
Born inLambertville, New Jersey on November 25, 1908,[3] Hunt attended Newark Business School for three years. He then went on to the New Jersey State Police Academy,Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy, Harvard School of Police Science, andUnited States Army Intelligence School. He became aNew Jersey State Police trooper in 1930.[4] From 1942 to 1946, he served in theUnited States Army as the Combat Intelligence Officer with the456th Bomb Group.[4] He earned aBronze Star,Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters,Purple Heart, and aPresidential Unit Citation with oak leaf cluster. He left the Army in 1946 as amajor.[4]
After his time in the military, Hunt resumed his career in the state police, eventually heading the force's narcotics squad in theSouth Jersey.[4] He retired in 1959 and entered politics: he was elected sheriff ofGloucester County later that year.[4] He continued in this role until 1963, when he was elected to theNew Jersey Senate. From 1964 to 1966, he represented all of Gloucester County; from 1966 to January 1967, he represented the1st Legislative District alongsideFrank S. Farley. In the State Senate, he championed the creation of theCommodore Barry Bridge, which began construction in 1969.[5] In 1966, Hunt was elected to representNew Jersey's 1st congressional district.[4]
Hunt was described as aconservative Republican with a pronounced interest in law enforcement.[4] He supportedno-knock warrants andpre-trial detention, and once remarked during his time in Congress, "Our difficulty today is that we have not handcuffed the criminals. We have handcuffed the police".[4] He was a member of Congress for eight years, and was defeated in1974 by futureGovernor of New Jersey,James Florio.[4] His staunch support for PresidentRichard Nixon throughout theWatergate scandal was cited as a factor in his defeat.[5] Hunt was acting director of theDefense Civil Preparedness Agency from 1976 to 1977.[4]
Hunt was a longtime resident ofPitman, New Jersey, where he was vice president of a real estate firm from 1978 to 1981.[4] He ran for mayor of the borough in 1983, but lost toDemocrat Michael Hannum.[6]
Hunt and his wife, Doris, had a daughter. He died at a hospital inWoodbury, New Jersey, on September 22, 1989, at the age of 80.[4]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromNew Jersey's 1st congressional district January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1975 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
