William Hunter (Assistant Secretary of State)

William Hunter Jr. (November 8, 1805 – July 22, 1886)[1] was a politician and diplomat from Rhode Island. He was a confidential clerk to Secretary of State John Clayton in the United States Department of State from 1849 to 1850, serving with George P. Fisher. He had served as acting Secretary of State on three occasions, once in 1853, again in 1860, and to temporarily substitute for Secretary William H. Seward[2] after his injury in a carriage accident and subsequent wounding in an attack concurrent with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. He also served as Chief Clerk of the State Department from 1852 to 1855, Assistant Secretary of State in 1855 and Second Assistant Secretary of State from 1866 until his death in 1886.

William Hunter Jr.
portrait, c. 1866-1886
1st United States Second Assistant Secretary of State
In office
July 27, 1866 – July 22, 1886
PresidentAndrew Johnson
Ulysses S. Grant
Rutherford B. Hayes
James Garfield
Chester A. Arthur
Grover Cleveland
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byAlvey A. Adee
United States Secretary of State
Ad interim
In office
December 15, 1860 – December 16, 1860
PresidentJames Buchanan
Preceded byEdward Everett
Succeeded byWilliam L. Marcy
In office
March 4, 1853 – March 7, 1853
PresidentFranklin Pierce
Preceded byLewis Cass
Succeeded byJeremiah S. Black
2nd United States Assistant Secretary of State
In office
May 9, 1855 – October 31, 1855
PresidentFranklin Pierce
Preceded byAmbrose Dudley Mann
Succeeded byJohn Addison Thomas
20th Chief Clerk of the Department of State
In office
May 17, 1852 – May 7, 1855
PresidentMillard Fillmore
Franklin Pierce
Preceded byWilliam S. Derrick
Succeeded byAmbrose Dudley Mann (as Assistant Secretary of State in 1853)
Personal details
Born
William Hunter, Jr.

1805 (1805)
DiedJuly 22, 1886(1886-07-22) (aged 80–81)
ProfessionDiplomat

References

edit
  1. ^ United States Department of State (1919). Register of the Department of State. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 11.
  2. ^ The Daily Age, "Official Announcement of the Induction of President Johnson," Philadelphia, April 17, 1865, p. 1
Government offices
Preceded by
(none)
United States Second Assistant Secretary of State
July 27, 1866 – July 22, 1886
Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Assistant Secretary of State
May 9, 1855 – October 31, 1855
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief Clerk of the United States State Department
May 17, 1852 – May 7, 1855
Succeeded by
(none)