Henry Thomas Hunt was the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio from 1912 to 1913. Hunt, 33 years old when he took office, quickly became known as the Boy Mayor. Failing to win re-election, he moved to New York City where he became a successful attorney.
Early life
Henry and his younger brother, Philip Woodward Hunt, were born to Samuel Hunt, president of the Cincinnati, Portsmouth & Virginia Railroad Company, and Martha Trotter Hunt. After graduating from Yale University in 1900, Henry Hunt received a law degree from Cincinnati Law School in 1903.
Political career
Hunt began his political career by joining the Committee of Nine, a group of young, idealistic neophytes bent on reforming a corrupt political system that had controlled Cincinnati and Hamilton County for decades. George B. Cox, known far and wide as Boss Cox, ran the entrenched political machine. In 1904, Hunt was appointed to a committee organized to separate school management from political influence. In 1905, as a member of the Honest Election Committee, Hunt helped lead a municipal election campaign focused on the elimination of Bossism. Also in 1905, Henry Hunt was nominated by the Democrats to stand for the Ohio House of Representatives, winning election as part of a reformist landslide that swept Cox's men out of office. In November 1908, Hunt was elected prosecuting attorney for Hamilton County. During Hunt's term, Boss Cox tried to obstruct him at every turn. Nevertheless, Hunt prevailed more often than not, closing gambling rooms and driving slot machines out of the county. In 1910, Hunt was re-elected to another two-year term. In 1911, Hunt's persistence and successes prompted Cox to issue a surprising announcement. Later that year, he would retire from political life. Henry Hunt was nominated to stand for mayor of Cincinnati on the Reform Democratic ticket, winning the November 1911 election.
Mayor
The New York Times of September 24, 1913 characterized the two-year term of Henry T. Hunt as "a remarkable record." They concluded that the voters have "no choice save to re-elect Mayor Hunt." The achievements of Mayor Henry T. Hunt were:
Settling a street railway strike and a strike of ice men
Suppressing gambling and closing many gambling resorts
Rerouting the street railway lines and constructing a terminal boulevard and belt line of surface cars
Abolishing dangerous grade crossings
Introducing a plan to improve city sewers
Opposing the corrupt and powerful Republican organization dominated by Boss Cox
One summer afternoon, Hunt saved a teenager's life:
Later career
After losing a bid for re-election as mayor, Hunt enlisted in the Army and served during World War I, reaching the rank of major. In 1922, Henry Hunt entered the practice of law in New York City.
Personal life
Henry T. Hunt married Thomasa Haydock, daughter of Thomas T. Haydock of Cincinnati. They had three children: Barbara Carter Hunt, Henry Thomas Hunt and Samuel Pancoast Hunt. On May 8, 1920, Mrs. Thomasa Haydock Hunt filed suit in Cincinnati for a divorce from Henry T. Hunt. In September, 1925, Henry T. Hunt married Eleanor M. Phelps. They lie buried beside each other in Arlington National Cemetery.
