January/February 2004 issue
In Memoriam: Judge Elmo B. Hunter
On Saturday, December 27, 2003, Judge Elmo B. Hunter, Senior U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Missouri, passed away in Lee's Summit, Missouri. He was 88 years old.
Elmo Bolton Hunter was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri - Columbia in 1936. He received his law degree two years later from the University of Missouri - Columbia School of Law, where he served as editor of the law review and graduated first in his class.
After graduating from law school he worked for a year as a law clerk for Judge Kimbrough Stone of the U.S. Court of Appeals. From 1939 to 1941 he worked as a senior assistant city counselor for Kansas City, Missouri. From 1941 to 1942 he prosecuted war fraud cases as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri and the District of Kansas.
From 1942 to 1945 he served in World War II as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, where his duties involved military intelligence.
When he returned from service, he became a partner in the firm of Sebree, Shook, Hardy & Hunter. He stayed with the firm until 1951, when he became a judge for the State Circuit Court of Missouri. In 1957, he was appointed to the Missouri Court of Appeals in Kansas City. During this time he also served as an instructor of law at the University of Missouri.
In 1965, Judge Hunter was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. He took senior status in 1980. During his time with the federal court he maintained his reputation as a fair and dedicated public servant. "He was one of the great jurists of our time," said Chief Magistrate Judge John Maughmer of the Western District of Missouri.
He also contributed to the legal community by working to improve the quality of lawyers appointed to the bench. In 1987 he was the recipient of the Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award. In 1991, the American Judicature Society created the Elmo B. Hunter Citizens Center for Judicial Selection, which conducts research on merit-based judicial selection and monitors state judicial reform efforts.
In his spare time Judge Hunter was a sports fan, an avid deep sea fisherman, and outdoorsman. He is survived by his wife, Shirley, and their daughter Nancy Ann. He will be greatly missed.
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