Under Secretary of State

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Under Secretary of State, from 1919 to 1972, was the second-ranking official at the United States Department of State, serving as the Secretary's principal deputy, chief assistant, and Acting Secretary in the event of the Secretary's absence. Prior second-ranking positions had been the Chief Clerk, the Assistant Secretary of State, and the Counselor. Prior to 1944, a number of offices in the Department reported directly to the Under Secretary. In July 1972, the position of Deputy Secretary superseded that of Under Secretary of State.

In modern times, the Under Secretary of State is a position ranking above Assistant Secretary of State and below Deputy Secretary of State. The Counselor of the United States Department of State, who advises the Secretary of State, holds a rank equivalent to Under Secretary.

[edit] External links

• The Department of State's list of Under Secretaries in the period that it was the second-ranking position.
• The Department of State's list of former and current positions.