Edwin Ford Hunter, Jr. (February 18, 1911 – February 22, 2002), was the longest-sitting U.S. District Court judge in the nation, having served the Western District of Louisiana for forty-eight years. Hunter was based in Lake Charles in the southwestern portion of the state, from 1953, originally under recess appointment, until his death, four days after his 91st birthday. Hunter was known for his civil rights rulings.