Executive Washington editor for The Wall Street Journal Al Hunt's involvement in journalism began "almost accidentally" when he reluctantly accepted a job as a copy boy for the Chicago Bulletin after being suspended from Wake Forest University, in North Carolina.
Settling into one of the couches in the living room of the Montgomery House, where he has been living for the past three days as the Montgomery Fellow, Hunt said he was forced to accept the job after he threw a party in a motel room with women -- an activity strongly condemned by the Baptist university.
Although he had no previous exposure to journalism, Hunt said, "In a short time, I got hooked."
"The minute I was really exposed to it, it was instant love," Hunt said.
When Hunt returned to Wake Forest after his semester with the Chicago Bulletin, he worked for the school's newspaper and swiftly developed a taste for reporting.
"I loved reporting from the very beginning," Hunt said. "I remember working for the college newspaper and going out and trying to find out what the administration was up to."
On Tuesday morning, wearing sweats in preparation for his early morning jog, Hunt explained that he applied for positions at a number of newspapers his senior year and began reporting for the Wall Street Journal two weeks after graduating.
Although Hunt has worked for the Wall Street Journal since 1965, he said did not envision a lifelong career with the paper.
"In the beginning I probably thought [working for the Wall Street Journal] would be for someone else," he said. "I thought I'd work for the Journal for maybe a year, write a bunch of front page stories, learn a lot and then move on."
Pausing to adjust his glasses, Hunt said it took 10 months for his editors to give him a byline on the front page.
Hunt first worked for the Wall Street Journal as a reporter in New York in 1965 and then as a reporter in Boston in 1967.
In 1969 he joined the Washington Bureau and from 1972-83 was responsible for covering Congress and national politics. In October of 1983, he became Washington bureau chief and in September of 1993 was named executive Washington editor.
Hunt now writes a weekly editorial titled "Politics & People" and directs the paper's political polls.
A nostalgic smile spread across Hunt's face as he reminisced about his childhood passion for politics.
"I got interested in politics when I was a nine year old kid listening to the 1952 conventions on the radio and being absolutely mesmerized by them," he said.
Hunt said he intended to be a political journalist from the inception of his career and said his political coverage has provided him with an invaluable insider's view of the American political system.
Hunt said American voters can behave unpredictably. One time, the Philadelphia electorate even voted for a dead man.
Leaning back on the couch, Hunt recalled asking a Philadelphia party boss if he thought the Congressmen he was backing, Bill Barrett, might lose the primary.
To Hunt's surprise, the party boss said he anticipated "a big nostalgia vote for Bill," and the Congressmen, who had died a week earlier, managed to win 77 percent of the vote.
"That shows the way the machine works," Hunt quipped.
Hunt said his experience in political journalism has taught him to appreciate the American political system -- flaws and all.
"I think I came away with an appreciation of what a tremendous, resilient and enduring system we have," he said. "It really works in a remarkable way. We see the right people rise to the floor."
Stepping out the door to begin his jog around Occom Pond, Hunt paused to lament the dulling of American politics.
"It is losing a lot of colorful people," he said. The political system is producing "more suburban types of candidates."
Jogging around the pond, Hunt spoke of his wife, Judy Woordruff, who is Cable News Network's anchor for "Inside Politics" and "The World Today," and of their three children, one of whom is adopted.
Hunt said even though he and his wife live hectic lives, they make time for their children, who are seven, nine and 14 years old.
Hunt said he is not certain whether his children share his and his wife's interest in politics.
"My 14-year-old son is interested in politics to a degree," he said. Hunt said his children enjoy meeting politicos, and they have met Senator Bob Dole (R-Kan.) and heard President Bill Clinton speak.
Beginning his second lap around the pond, Hunt said he has enjoyed his Montgomery Fellowship and is impressed by the loyalty Dartmouth students harbor for the College.
Hunt said he met about 100 students during his three days at the College, all of whom said they would come to Dartmouth, if given the opportunity to choose again.
Government Professor Dennis Sullivan described Hunt's visit to his seminar and his lunch with Hunt as "extraordinarily successful in all ways."
"He was very sensitive to students' concerns and helped a lot," Sullivan said. "Both were very good sessions."
Director of the Montgomery Fellowship Barbara Gerstner said, "This has been a fantastic visit."
"It was wonderful to see how students reacted to him," she said. "He was very open, very astute and very keen on the subjects that were discussed."
"I think he was working hard but thoroughly enjoyed his experience at the College," she added.
Government Professor James Shoch, who introduced Hunt at the speech he gave yesterday afternoon titled "Media and American Politics," described Hunt as "extremely politically insightful, imminently friendly, approachable and outgoing."
"Students in my own class and what I've heard about other students have found him extremely entertaining and delightful," Shoch said.
