National Security Advisor (United States)

Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
Formation 1953
First holder Robert Cutler
Website The White House

The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor (abbreviated NSA, or sometimes APNSA or ANSA to avoid confusion with the abbreviation of the National Security Agency), serves as the chief advisor to the President of the United States on national security issues. This person serves on the National Security Council within the Executive Office of the President. The National Security Advisor's office is located in the West Wing of the White House. He or she is supported by a staff that produces research, briefings, and intelligence for the NSA to review and present to the National Security Council and the President of the United States.

The National Security Advisor is appointed by the President without confirmation by the United States Senate. As such, they are not connected to the bureaucracies of the Departments of State and Defense, and are therefore able to offer independent advice. The power and role of the National Security Advisor varies from administration to administration.

In times of crisis, the National Security Advisor operates from the White House Situation Room, updating the President on the latest events of a crisis.

The current office holder is Thomas E. Donilon.

List of National Security Advisors

# Picture Name Term of Office[1] President(s) served under
Start End
1 Robert Cutler March 23, 1953 April 2, 1955 Dwight D. Eisenhower
2 Dillon Anderson April 2, 1955 September 1, 1956
3 William H. Jackson September 1, 1956 January 7, 1957
4 Robert Cutler January 7, 1957 June 24, 1958
5 Gordon Gray June 24, 1958 January 13, 1961
6 McGeorge Bundy January 20, 1961 February 28, 1966 John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson
7 Walt W. Rostow April 1, 1966 January 20, 1969 Lyndon B. Johnson
8 Henry Kissinger January 20, 1969 November 3, 1975 Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford
9 Lt Gen Brent Scowcroft November 3, 1975 January 20, 1977 Gerald Ford
10 Zbigniew Brzezinski January 20, 1977 January 21, 1981 Jimmy Carter
11 Richard V. Allen January 21, 1981 January 4, 1982 Ronald Reagan
12 William P. Clark January 4, 1982 October 17, 1983
13 LtCol Robert C. McFarlane October 17, 1983 December 4, 1985
14 VADM John M. Poindexter December 4, 1985 November 25, 1986
15 Frank C. Carlucci December 2, 1986 November 23, 1987
16 GEN Colin L. Powell November 23, 1987 January 20, 1989
17 Lt Gen Brent Scowcroft January 20, 1989 January 20, 1993 George H. W. Bush
18 W. Anthony Lake January 20, 1993 March 14, 1997 Bill Clinton
19 Samuel R. Berger March 14, 1997 January 20, 2001
20 Condoleezza Rice January 22, 2001 January 25, 2005 George W. Bush
21 Stephen Hadley January 26, 2005 January 20, 2009
22 Gen James L. Jones (Ret.)[2] January 20, 2009 October 8, 2010 Barack Obama
23 Tom Donilon[3] October 8, 2010 Incumbent

References

Notes
  1. ^ "History of the National Security Council, 1947-1997". National Security Council. White House. August 1997. Archived from the original on 2008-03-06. http://web.archive.org/web/20080306081817/http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/history.html. Retrieved 2008-09-05. 
  2. ^ "Key members of Obama-Biden national security team announced" (Press release). The Office of the President Elect. 1 December 2008. http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/key_members_of_obama_biden_national_security_team_announced/. Retrieved 2008-12-01. 
  3. ^ "Donilon to replace Jones as national security adviser". CNN. October 2010. http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/08/obama.jones.replacement. Retrieved 2010-10-08. 
National Security Advisors of the United States
Cutler • Anderson • Jackson • Cutler • Gray • Bundy • Rostow • Kissinger • Scowcroft • Brzezinski • Allen • Clark • McFarlane • Poindexter • Carlucci • Powell • Scowcroft • Lake • Berger • Rice • Hadley • Jones • Donilon