William Henry Hunt (1869–1951) was an
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...
diplomat, one of the few
black people in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
diplomatic corps
The diplomatic corps (french: corps diplomatique) is the collective body of foreign diplomats accredited to a particular country or body.
The diplomatic corps may, in certain contexts, refer to the collection of accredited heads of mission ( ...
(foreign service) during the 19th century.
Born in Tennessee, Hunt moved north where he was educated at
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a colonist from the Province of Massachusetts Bay who was kill ...
. He was befriended by
Mifflin Wistar Gibbs
Mifflin Wistar Gibbs (April 17, 1823 – July 11, 1915) was an American-Canadian politician, businessman, and advocate for Black rights. He became the first Black person elected to public office in British Columbia on November 16, 1866, upon win ...
, who hired him as an aide for his 1897 consular posting in
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
. Hunt was appointed to succeed Gibbs there, and went on to serve at posts in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
,
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
,
Guadeloupe and
Liberia, retiring in 1932. He settled in Arkansas, where he became active in law and politics.
Life
William Hunt was born in 1869 in
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
. He was of mixed heritage, as was his mother, whose father is believed to be a white planter who served as vice president.
[Joel Dreyfuss, "A Black Power Couple in the Early 20th Century"](_blank)
''The Root'', 28 May 2010, accessed 5 January 2015 Through a series of lucky encounters, he acquired a patron and was educated at
Lawrence Academy in Massachusetts. He enrolled as one of three African-American students at
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a colonist from the Province of Massachusetts Bay who was kill ...
in
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
in the 1880s.
During this period he met his future wife,
Ida Alexander Gibbs around 1889.
She introduced him to her father,
Mifflin Wistar Gibbs
Mifflin Wistar Gibbs (April 17, 1823 – July 11, 1915) was an American-Canadian politician, businessman, and advocate for Black rights. He became the first Black person elected to public office in British Columbia on November 16, 1866, upon win ...
, a judge who was appointed as United States Consul to
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
in 1897 and hired Hunt as his aide.
In 1904, Hunt married Ida Alexander Gibbs (1862–1957) at #14 N Street, NW in Washington, D.C.
["Hunt, Ida Alexander Gibbs (1862-1957)"](_blank)
BlackPast.org. She had been educated at
Oberlin College and was a friend and colleague of
W. E. B. Du Bois. Ida Gibbs Hunt and Du Bois worked together on the
Pan-African Congresses held in Europe in the 1910s and 1920s. In 1923 in London, she gave a talk on "The Colored Races and the
League of Nations
The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...
."
Hunt served in the United States diplomatic corps, becoming the
vice-consult of Madagascar in 1899 and succeeding his father-in-law as the consul in 1901. His next post was
Saint-Etienne,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, where he was consul from 1906 to 1927. During his time there, Hunt gained a high standing among the locals for his diplomatic engagement and athletic activities, particularly through his role in establishing the sport of rugby in the town and running a rugby club. During World War I, he was responsible for the safety of American citizens as well as those of the
Central Powers
The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...
while the United States remained neutral. He would then serve in
Guadeloupe,
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
(the
Azores
)
, motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace")
, anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores")
, image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg
, map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union
, map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
) and
Liberia before retiring in 1932. His later career included law and politics in
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
.
[Martha A. Sandweiss, "Book review: 'Parallel Worlds: The Remarkable Gibbs-Hunt and the Enduring (In)significance of Melanin' by Adele Logan Alexander"](_blank)
''Washington Post'', 16 May 2010, accessed 5 January 2015
Claude McKay refers in his
Harlem Renaissance novel ''
Banjo'' (1929) to a "Negroid" consul working at an American consulate in a "town near
Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...
," France (likely intended to refer to Hunt).
References
Further reading
"A Black Power Couple in the Early 20th Century" ''The Root''
BlackPast.org- Ida Alexander Gibbs Hunt
Oberlin College Archives- photograph of Ida Alexander Gibbs Hunt
Howard University Archives
*
"Husband and Wife Duo Paved the Way for Blacks in Diplomacy" NPR, 10 February 2010
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunt, William
American diplomats
1863 births
1951 deaths
Williams College alumni
People from Tennessee