William Hunter Jr.
portrait, c. 1866-1886
1st United States Second Assistant Secretary of State
In office July 27, 1866 – July 22, 1886
President	Andrew Johnson Ulysses S. Grant Rutherford B. Hayes James Garfield Chester A. Arthur Grover Cleveland
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Alvey A. Adee
United States Secretary of State
Ad interim
In office December 15, 1860 – December 16, 1860
President	James Buchanan
Preceded by	Edward Everett
Succeeded by	William L. Marcy
In office March 4, 1853 – March 7, 1853
President	Franklin Pierce
Preceded by	Lewis Cass
Succeeded by	Jeremiah S. Black
2nd United States Assistant Secretary of State
In office May 9, 1855 – October 31, 1855
President	Franklin Pierce
Preceded by	Ambrose Dudley Mann
Succeeded by	John Addison Thomas
20th Chief Clerk of the Department of State
In office May 17, 1852 – May 7, 1855
President	Millard Fillmore Franklin Pierce
Preceded by	William S. Derrick
Succeeded by	Ambrose Dudley Mann (as Assistant Secretary of State in 1853)
Personal details
Born	William Hunter, Jr. 1805 (1805)
Died	July 22, 1886(1886-07-22) (aged 80–81)
Profession	Diplomat

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.