Dubbed “Perfect Season” by her son, Clark, each vintage of Norma’s wine was unique. She planted, and replanted, until the vineyard produced some of the finest cabernet sauvignon in northern California. In 2000, she acquired Bidwell Creek Vineyard in Knight’s Valley, California, and immersed herself in the art, science and challenge of winemaking. On a trip to Tuscany with Lamar, Norma began a fascination with viticulture. In addition to her contributions to the DMA, Norma was active and generous in her support of Park Cities Presbyterian Church, Crystal Charity Ball, Council for Life and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Hoping to elevate the profile of the DMA, the Hunts acquired the painting for a then record sum for an American artist, and donated the masterwork to the museum a year later. In 1979, the lost masterpiece of Fredric Edwin Church, The Icebergs, came up for auction at Sotheby’s. Both Norma and Lamar were patrons and benefactors of the Dallas Museum of Art and devoted time and resources to promoting the museum over the years. They developed a deep affinity for the paintings of Thomas Moran which they collected over the years. As passive investors, Norma and Lamar were not intimately involved in the business of the Bulls, but some of their best times together came in the 1990s, cheering on the six championship teams led by Michael Jordan.īeyond sports, Norma and Lamar shared a love for art and antiques, and their passion took them on travels around the world. In 1966, at Norma’s behest, the Hunts became founding investors in the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association. In the first four years of their marriage, Lamar merged his pro football league with the NFL, founded the Dallas Tornado of the then-nascent North American Soccer League and established the first professional tennis tour in North America, World Championship Tennis. Norma supported Lamar in all of his various sports pursuits. For Christmas in 1965, Norma gifted Lamar’s three children the hottest toy on the market that year – the Wham-o “Super Ball.” Lamar would later say that it was the combination of that toy and his affinity for college bowl games which led him to coin the phrase “Super Bowl” for the championship game between the AFL and the NFL. She even provided unintentional inspiration for the naming of the most iconic sporting event in North America. Norma was by Lamar’s side every step of the way as the burgeoning AFL battled and then befriended the NFL. It was there they learned that the league Lamar founded, the American Football League, had secured a major television rights agreement which would set in motion the eventual merger of the AFL with the rival NFL, thus creating the modern era of professional football in 1966. The happy couple whisked away to Europe to take in the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria. Norma and Lamar were married in a small ceremony at her parents’ home on January 22, 1964. Norma enjoyed every second of the adventure – which affectionately came to be known as the “fipple-header” – and Lamar knew he had found the one. On an extended weekend in October 1963, Lamar took Norma to five football games in three cities over four days including a triumph by his Kansas City Chiefs over the Houston Oilers. Lamar was smitten by Norma’s vivacious and kind manner, and their bond grew deeper over a shared love of sports. In 1963, Norma was courted by American sports pioneer Lamar Hunt. Following her studies, Norma returned to Richardson High School to begin her career as an American history teacher. In 1962, Norma was awarded a year of post-graduate study in Dublin, Ireland, as part of the Rotary Club’s overseas fellowship program. While at the university, Norma served as president of the Chi Omega sorority and received numerous accolades including being named Woman of the Year and Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities. After high school, Norma earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from North Texas State University in Denton where she graduated, with honors, in 1960.
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