James McNaughton Hester

Who is James McNaughton Hester?

James McNaughton Hester is an internationally recognized educator, born 19 April 1924, in Chester, Pennsylvania. Hester spent his boyhood at various stations to which his father, a United States Navy Chaplain, was assigned, including Hawaii and Samoa. In 1942, he was graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California.

He attended Princeton University, where he won honors in the humanities, election to Phi Beta Kappa, and was awarded an A.B. degree in 1945. After joining the United States Marine Corps' officer candidate programme, he was trained to be a Japanese language officer. He subsequently served in Japan in a civilian capacity as the civil information and education officer on the Fukuoka Military Government Team.

In 1947, Hester entered Pembroke College, Oxford University, as a Rhodes Scholar, earning a bachelor's degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Upon his return to the United States in 1950, he became assistant to the American Secretary to the Rhodes Trustees.

Recalled to active duty with the Marines in 1951, Hester served seventeen months as a battalion adjutant and instructor at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Quantico, Virginia.