United States Secretary of War

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. The Secretary of War led the War Department. At first, he was responsible for all military affairs. In 1798, the Secretary of the Navy was added to the cabinet, and the scope of this office was reduced to a general concern with the Army. In 1947, the departments were recombined under the Secretary of Defense. The Secretary of War was replaced by the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Air Force, non-Cabinet positions under the Secretary of Defense.

[edit] Previous Secretaries of War

Henry Knox was the first United States Secretary of War, appointed by George Washington in 1789.
Enlarge
Henry Knox was the first United States Secretary of War, appointed by George Washington in 1789.
Picture Name Began Service Ended Service President(s) served under
Henry Knox September 12, 1789 December 31, 1794 George Washington
Timothy Pickering January 2, 1795 December 10, 1795 Washington
James McHenry January 27, 1796 May 13, 1800 Washington, John Adams
Samuel Dexter May 13, 1800 January 31, 1801 John Adams
Henry Dearborn March 5, 1801 March 4, 1809 Thomas Jefferson
William Eustis March 7, 1809 January 13, 1813 James Madison
John Armstrong, Jr. January 13, 1813 September 27, 1814 Madison
James Monroe September 27, 1814 March 2, 1815 Madison
William Harris Crawford August 1, 1815 October 22, 1816 Madison
John C. Calhoun October 8, 1817 March 4, 1825 James Monroe
James Barbour March 7, 1825 May 23, 1828 John Quincy Adams
Peter Buell Porter May 23, 1828 March 4, 1829 John Quincy Adams
John Henry Eaton March 9, 1829 June 18, 1831 Andrew Jackson
Lewis Cass August 1, 1831 October 5, 1836 Jackson
Joel Roberts Poinsett March 7, 1837 March 4, 1841 Martin Van Buren
John Bell March 5, 1841 September 13, 1841 William Henry Harrison, John Tyler
John C. Spencer October 12, 1841 March 4, 1843 Tyler
James Madison Porter March 8, 1843 February 14, 1844 Tyler
William Wilkins February 15, 1844 March 4, 1845 Tyler
William L. Marcy March 6, 1845 March 4, 1849 James K. Polk
George Walker Crawford March 8, 1849 July 22, 1850 Zachary Taylor
Charles Magill Conrad August 15, 1850 March 4, 1853 Millard Fillmore
Jefferson Davis March 7, 1853 March 4, 1857 Franklin Pierce
John Buchanan Floyd March 6, 1857 December 29, 1860 James Buchanan
Joseph Holt January 18, 1861 March 4, 1861 Buchanan
Simon Cameron March 5, 1861 January 14, 1862 Abraham Lincoln
Edwin M. Stanton January 20, 1862 May 28, 1868 Lincoln, Andrew Johnson
John M. Schofield June 1, 1868 March 13, 1869 Johnson
John Aaron Rawlins March 13, 1869 September 6, 1869 Ulysses Simpson Grant
William Tecumseh Sherman September 9, 1869 October 24, 1869 Grant
William W. Belknap October 25, 1869 March 2, 1876 Grant
Alphonso Taft March 8, 1876 May 22, 1876 Grant
J. Donald Cameron May 22, 1876 March 4, 1877 Grant
George W. McCrary March 12, 1877 December 10, 1879 Rutherford B. Hayes
Alexander Ramsey December 10, 1879 March 4, 1881 Hayes
Robert Todd Lincoln March 5, 1881 March 4, 1885 James A. Garfield, Chester A. Arthur
William C. Endicott March 5, 1885 March 4, 1889 Grover Cleveland
Redfield Proctor March 5, 1889 November 5, 1891 Benjamin Harrison
Stephen B. Elkins December 17, 1891 March 4, 1893 Harrison
Daniel Scott Lamont March 5, 1893 March 4, 1897 Cleveland (2nd term)
Russell A. Alger March 5, 1897 August 1, 1899 William McKinley
Elihu Root August 1, 1899 January 31, 1904 McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt
William Howard Taft February 1, 1904 June 30, 1908 Theodore Roosevelt
Luke Edward Wright July 1, 1908 March 4, 1909 Theodore Roosevelt
Jacob M. Dickinson March 12, 1909 May 21, 1911 William Howard Taft
Henry L. Stimson May 22, 1911 March 4, 1913 Taft
Lindley M. Garrison March 5, 1913 February 10, 1916 Woodrow Wilson
Newton D. Baker March 9, 1916 March 4, 1921 Wilson
John W. Weeks March 5, 1921 October 13, 1925 Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge
Dwight F. Davis October 14, 1925 March 4, 1929 Coolidge
James W. Good March 6, 1929 November 18, 1929 Herbert Hoover
Patrick J. Hurley December 9, 1929 March 4, 1933 Hoover
George H. Dern March 4, 1933 August 27, 1936 Franklin D. Roosevelt
Harry H. Woodring September 25, 1936 June 20, 1940 FDR
Henry L. Stimson July 10, 1940 September 21, 1945 FDR, Harry S. Truman
Robert P. Patterson September 27, 1945 July 18, 1947 Truman
Kenneth C. Royall July 19, 1947 September 18, 1947 Truman

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

In other languages