William Leonard Hungate (December 14, 1922 – June 22, 2007) was a United States representative from Missouri from November 3, 1964 (special election upon the death of Congressman Clarence Cannon), to January 3, 1977, representing the Ninth Congressional District.

[1] In 1969, he was awarded a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Harvard Law School.

He was then elected prosecuting attorney of Lincoln County, Missouri, serving from 1951 to 1956.

[2] As District Judge, Hungate presided over the St. Louis public school desegregation case, and was instrumental in designing a voluntary desegregation plan for the St. Louis City and County School Districts.

[6] One of the most significant findings by Hungate in the St. Louis desegregation case was, with respect to school segregation in St. Louis City and County, the "State of Missouri, which prior to 1954 mandated school segregation, never took any effective steps to dismantle the dual system it had compelled by constitution, statutory law, practice and policy."

He concluded that "the State defendants stand before the Court as primary constitutional wrongdoers who have abdicated their remedial duty.

[7][8] During his retirement, he was the author of It Wasn't Funny at the Time, a collection of photographs and anecdotes from his college years, World War II, life in congress and during his judgeship, published in 1994; and Glimpses of Politics (Red, White & Blue Jokes), published in 1996.

He was survived by his wife, Dorothy; a son, David (who was the original bass player for the rock band Toto); a daughter, Katie Wood; and four grandchildren.