William H. Hunt

Born on June 12, 1823, in Charleston, South Carolina,[1] Hunt attended Yale University and Yale Law School, then read law with Theodore Hunt and Randell Hunt in New Orleans, Louisiana.[1] He entered private practice in New Orleans from 1844 to 1878.[1] He served as a Colonel in the Confederate States Army in 1862.[1] He was an Acting Professor of Civil Law for the University of Louisiana (now Tulane University) in 1866.[1] He was Attorney General of Louisiana from 1876 to 1877.[1]

Hunt was nominated by President Rutherford B. Hayes on April 18, 1878, to a seat on the Court of Claims (later the United States Court of Claims) vacated by Judge Ebenezer Peck.[1] He was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 15, 1878, and received his commission the same day.[1] His service terminated on March 11, 1881, due to his resignation.[1]

Hunt served as United States Secretary of the Navy from 1881 to 1882, in the cabinets of President James A. Garfield and President Chester A. Arthur.[1]

Hunt served as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Russian Empire for the United States Department of State from 1882 to 1884.[1] He died on February 27, 1884, in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire.[1]

Two ships in the United States Navy have been named USS Hunt for Hunt.

• "Hunt, William Henry - Federal Judicial Center". www.fjc.gov.
• The United States Court of Claims : a history / pt. 1. The judges, 1855-1976 / by Marion T. Bennett / pt. 2. Origin, development, jurisdiction, 1855-1978 / W. Cowen, P. Nichols, M.T. Bennett. Washington, D.C.: Committee on the Bicentennial of Independence and the Constitution of the Judicial Conference of the United States. 1976.