EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE: The many hats of Jim Leutze

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Our Extraordinary Person of the Week has penned a new book with his perspective on where North Carolina once was and is now. His experience in the Tar Heel State is vast and has him thinking we’re headed in the wrong direction. This week we introduce you to the many hats of Jim Leutze.

“I’m just as busy as I ever was,” Leutze said.

Leutze makes retirement look like a full time job.

“North Carolina is my adopted state,” he said. “My children grew up here. They live here. Grandchildren grew up here.”

Leutze has a doctoral degree from Duke. He was a professor of history at UNC Chapel Hill. But he may best be known for his tenure as chancellor of the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Matter of fact, it’s well documented that during his 13 years at UNCW, the school grew in both enrollment and prestige. Leutze still holds the title chancellor emeritus at the university.

In 2010 he had an unsuccessful run for NC Senate, but his passion for North Carolina has never faded.

“Here I spent 35 years in education, and I don’t think North Carolinians know what’s going on in the state,” Leutze said. “I did a bad job, apparently. I didn’t ignite enough passion in people about public affairs and what’s going on.”

His passion can be found his newly released book “Entering North Carolina: Set Clocks Back 100 Years.”

“It’s a call to arms for people who don’t like the way the state is going,” Leutze said of the book.

The cover alone speaks volumes, and inside the book, his words paint a colorful picture of history headed to repeating itself.

“This book is different,” he said. “This is not intended to be a full history of Carolina. It’s more using history to explain what is going on today.”

And he is adamant that he’s not picking parties.

“Let me make it clear: This is not intended to be partisan,” Leutze said. “I don’t care who is in power, whether it is Republican, Libertarian, Democrat, a new party or someone with a vision for the future and wants to see us going forward, not backward.”

One thing for sure is that Leutze is passionate about the people of North Carolina and that’s “extraordinary.”

One last note, Leutze will join the WWAY crew on Election Night with his expert analysis alongside political consultant/strategist Chad Adams and our own political expert and news director Kevin Wuzzardo. Our special Election Night coverage begins at 10:55 on WWAY and is commercial free for 40 minutes.

If you would like to nominate someone who you think is extraordinary, email me at dseamans@wwaytv3.com.