United States Secretary of Transportation

United States
Secretary of Transportation
US-DeptOfTransportation-Seal.svg
Official Seal
Older man in front of a US flag with bushy eyebrows and gray hair in a suit with a blue tie
Incumbent
Ray LaHood
since January 23, 2009
Formation October 15, 1966
Succession Fourteenth
Website www.dot.gov

The United States Secretary of Transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation, a member of the President's Cabinet, and fourteenth in the Presidential line of succession.[1] The post was created with the formation of the Department of Transportation on October 15, 1966, by President Lyndon B. Johnson's signing of the Department of Transportation Act.[2] The Department's mission is "to develop and coordinate policies that will provide an efficient and economical national transportation system, with due regard for need, the environment, and the national defense."[2] The Secretary of Transportation oversees eleven agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.[2] In April 2008, Mary Peters launched the official blog of the Secretary of Transportation called The Fast Lane.[3]

The first Secretary of Transportation was Alan Stephenson Boyd, nominated to the post by Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson. Ronald Reagan's second Secretary of Transportation, Elizabeth Dole, was the first female holder, and Mary Peters was the second. Gerald Ford's nominee William Thaddeus Coleman, Jr. was the first African American to serve as Transportation Secretary, and Federico Peña, serving under Bill Clinton, was the first Hispanic to hold the position, subsequently becoming Secretary of Energy. Japanese American Norman Mineta, who had previously been Secretary of Commerce, is the longest-serving Secretary, holding the post for over five and a half years,[2] and Andrew Card is the shortest-serving Secretary, serving only eleven months. Neil Goldschmidt was the youngest secretary, taking office at age thirty-nine, while Norman Mineta was the oldest, retiring at age seventy-four.[4] On January 23, 2009, the sixteenth and current secretary Ray LaHood took office, serving under the administration of Democrat Barack Obama; he had previously been a Republican Congressman from Illinois for fourteen years.[5] The salary of the Secretary of Transportation is $199,700.[6]

Contents

Secretaries of Transportation

# Image Name State of residence Took office Left office Party President(s) served under
1 Black and white photo of a balding man in a suit and striped tie Boyd, Alan StephensonAlan Stephenson Boyd Florida 01967-01-16 January 16, 1967 01969-01-20 January 20, 1969 Democratic Johnson, LyndonLyndon Johnson
2 Black and white photo of man in a suit and black tie Volpe, John A.John A. Volpe Massachusetts 01969-01-22 January 22, 1969 01973-02-02 February 2, 1973 Republican Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon
3 Black and white photo of a bald man wearing glasses and a suit with a striped tie Brinegar, ClaudeClaude Brinegar California 01973-02-02 February 2, 1973 01975-02-01 February 1, 1975 Republican Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon, Gerald Ford
4 Black and white photo of an African American man in a suit wearing glasses looking to his left Coleman, Jr., William ThaddeusWilliam Thaddeus Coleman, Jr. Pennsylvania 01975-03-07 March 7, 1975 01977-01-20 January 20, 1977 Republican Ford, GeraldGerald Ford
5 Black and white photo of a man in a suit smiling Adams, BrockBrock Adams Washington 01977-01-23 January 23, 1977 01979-07-20 July 20, 1979 Democratic Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter
6 Black and white photo of a man with a wide smile and short curly hair wearing a light-colored suit Goldschmidt, NeilNeil Goldschmidt Oregon 01979-08-15 August 15, 1979 01981-01-20 January 20, 1981 Democratic Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter
7 Black and white photo of a man wearing a suit sitting at a desk with his hands folded on it and the DOT logo and US flag behind him Lewis, DrewDrew Lewis Pennsylvania 01981-01-23 January 23, 1981 01983-02-01 February 1, 1983 Republican Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan
8 Smiling woman wearing earrings and a red shirt Dole, ElizabethElizabeth Dole Kansas 01983-02-07 February 7, 1983 01987-09-30 September 30, 1987 Republican Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan
9 Black and white photo of a man in a suit and combed-over hair with the US flag behind him Burnley IV, James H.James H. Burnley IV North Carolina 01987-12-03 December 3, 1987 01989-01-30 January 30, 1989 Republican Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan
10 Smiling man with thinning hair wearing a suit and a blue tie with the US flag behind him Skinner, Samuel K.Samuel K. Skinner Illinois 01989-02-06 February 6, 1989 01991-12-13 December 13, 1991 Republican Bush, George H. W.George H. W. Bush
11 Smiling man wearing a suit and a red tie Card, AndrewAndrew Card Massachusetts 01992-02-24 February 24, 1992 01993-01-20 January 20, 1993 Republican Bush, George H. W.George H. W. Bush
12 Hispanic man with large glasses and black hair with the US flag behind him Peña, FedericoFederico Peña Colorado 01993-01-21 January 21, 1993 01997-02-14 February 14, 1997 Democratic Clinton, BillBill Clinton
13 African American man with short hair and a short mustache Slater, RodneyRodney Slater Arkansas 01997-02-14 February 14, 1997 02001-01-20 January 20, 2001 Democratic Clinton, BillBill Clinton
14 Older Japanese American man with glasses wearing a suit with a red tie with the US flag behind him Mineta, NormanNorman Mineta California 02001-01-25 January 25, 2001 02006-08-07 August 7, 2006 Democratic Bush, George W.George W. Bush
15 Woman with long brown hair with the US flag behind hier Peters, MaryMary Peters Arizona 02006-10-17 October 17, 2006 02009-01-20 January 20, 2009 Republican Bush, George W.George W. Bush
16 Older man with bushy eyebrows and gray hair in a sui with the US flag behind himt LaHood, RayRay LaHood Illinois 02009-01-23 January 23, 2009 present Republican Obama, BarackBarack Obama

Line of succession

The line of succession regarding who would act as Secretary of Transportation in the event of a vacancy or incapacitation is as follows:[7]

  1. Deputy Secretary of Transportation
  2. Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy
  3. Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration
  4. Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
  5. Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
  6. Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration
  7. Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration
  8. Administrator of the Maritime Administration
  9. Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
  10. Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  11. Administrator of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration
  12. Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation
  13. Regional Administrator, Southern Region, Federal Aviation Administration
  14. Director, Resource Center, Lakewood, Colorado, Federal Highway Administration
  15. Regional Administrator, Northwest Mountain Region, Federal Aviation Administration

References

General
Specific
  1. ↑ "3 U.S.C. § 19 - Vacancy in offices of both President and Vice President; officers eligible to act". Legal Information Institute. Cornell University Law School. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Grinder, R. Dale. "The United States Department of Transportation: A Brief History". U.S. Department of Transportation. http://dotlibrary.dot.gov/Historian/history.htm. Retrieved January 2, 2010. 
  3. ↑ "A Chronology of Dates Significant in the Background, History and Development of the Department of Transportation". U.S. Department of Transportation. August 14, 2009. http://dotlibrary.dot.gov/Historian/chronology.htm. Retrieved January 3, 2010. 
  4. ↑ "Biographical Sketches of the Secretaries of Transportation". U.S. Department of Transportation. August 14, 2009. http://dotlibrary.dot.gov/Historian/bios.htm. Retrieved January 3, 2010. 
  5. ↑ "Ray LaHood—Secretary of Transportation". U.S. Department of Transportation. July 22, 2009. http://www.dot.gov/bios/lahood.htm. Retrieved January 3, 2010. 
  6. ↑ "Salary Table No. 2010—Ex". U.S. Office of Personnel Management. http://www.opm.gov/oca/10tables/html/ex.asp. Retrieved January 3, 2010. 
    "5 U.S.C. § 5312 - Positions at level I". Legal Information Institute. Cornell University Law School. 
  7. ↑ Obama, Barack (January 14, 2009). "Executive Order 13485: Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Transportation". NASA Online Directives Information System. http://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/displayEO.cfm?id=EO_13485_. Retrieved January 2, 2010. 

External links

United States presidential line of succession
Preceded by
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development		 14th in line Succeeded by
Secretary of Energy
United States Secretaries of Transportation
Boyd • Volpe • Brinegar • Coleman • Adams • Goldschmidt • Lewis • Dole • Burnley • Skinner • Card • Peña • Slater • Mineta • Peters • LaHood
 Seal of the United States Department of Transportation
Leaders of the United States federal executive departments

Agriculture • Commerce • Defense • Education • Energy • Health and Human Services • Homeland Security • Housing and Urban Development • Interior • Justice • Labor • State • Transportation • Treasury • Veterans Affairs

Past department leaders: Commerce and Labor • Health, Education, and Welfare • Navy • Post Office • War
Agencies of the United States Department of Transportation
Secretary of Transportation · Inspector General
Deputy Secretary of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration · Federal Highway Administration · Federal Railroad Administration · Federal Transit Administration · U.S. Maritime Administration · Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration · National Highway Traffic Safety Administration · Research and Innovative Technology Administration · Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration · Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation · Surface Transportation Board · Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance
 United States Department of Transportation Seal
Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy
Office of Aviation and International Affairs · Office of Transportation Policy