United States Secretary of Labor

"Secretary of Labor" redirects here. See also: Secretary of Labor of Mexico.
United States
Secretary of Labor

Official Seal
Incumbent
Hilda Solis
since February 24, 2009
Formation March 6, 1913
First holder William B. Wilson
Succession 11th
Website www.dol.gov

The United States Secretary of Labor is the head of the Department of Labor who exercises control over the department and enforces and suggests laws involving unions, the workplace, and all other issues involving any form of business-person controversies.

Previously there was one Secretary of Commerce and Labor, uniting this department with the Department of Commerce, which is headed by a separate Secretary of Commerce. Seven women have served as Secretary of Labor, which is more than any other cabinet position.

Hilda Solis is the current United States Secretary of Labor. She took office after being confirmed by the United States Senate on February 24, 2009.

Contents

List of Secretaries of Labor

Parties

      Democratic       Republican

No. Portrait Name State of Residence Took Office Left Office President(s)
1 William B. Wilson Pennsylvania March 6, 1913 March 4, 1921 Woodrow Wilson
2 James J. Davis Pennsylvania March 5, 1921 November 30, 1930 Warren G. Harding
Calvin Coolidge
Herbert Hoover
3 William N. Doak Virginia December 9, 1930 March 4, 1933
4 Frances Perkins New York March 4, 1933 June 30, 1945 Franklin D. Roosevelt
Harry S. Truman
5 Lewis B. Schwellenbach Washington July 1, 1945 June 10, 1948
6 Maurice J. Tobin Massachusetts August 13, 1948 January 20, 1953
7 Martin P. Durkin Illinois January 21, 1953 September 10, 1953 Dwight D. Eisenhower
8 James P. Mitchell New Jersey October 9, 1953 January 20, 1961
9 Arthur Goldberg Illinois January 21, 1961 September 20, 1962 John F. Kennedy
10 W. Willard Wirtz Illinois September 25, 1962 January 20, 1969
Lyndon B. Johnson
11 George Shultz Illinois January 22, 1969 July 1, 1970 Richard Nixon
12 James D. Hodgson Minnesota July 2, 1970 February 1, 1973
13 Peter J. Brennan New York February 2, 1973 March 15, 1975
Gerald Ford
14 John Thomas Dunlop Massachusetts March 18, 1975 January 31, 1976
15 W. J. Usery Jr. Georgia February 10, 1976 January 20, 1977
16 Ray Marshall Texas January 27, 1977 January 20, 1981 Jimmy Carter
17 Raymond J. Donovan New Jersey February 4, 1981 March 15, 1985 Ronald Reagan
18 William E. Brock Tennessee April 29, 1985 October 31, 1987
19 Ann Dore McLaughlin New Jersey December 17, 1987 January 20, 1989
20 Elizabeth Dole North Carolina January 25, 1989 November 23, 1990 George H. W. Bush
21 Lynn Morley Martin Illinois February 22, 1991 January 20, 1993
22 Robert Reich Massachusetts January 22, 1993 January 20, 1997 Bill Clinton
23 Alexis Herman Alabama May 1, 1997 January 20, 2001
24 Elaine Chao New York January 29, 2001 January 20, 2009 George W. Bush
25 Hilda Solis California February 24, 2009 Incumbent Barack Obama

Living former Secretaries of Labor

See also

External links

United States presidential line of succession
Preceded by
Secretary of Commerce		 11th in line Succeeded by
Secretary of Health and Human Services
United States Secretaries of Labor
Secretaries of Commerce & Labor
Secretaries of Labor
Wilson • Davis • Doak • Perkins • Schwellenbach • Tobin • Durkin • Mitchell • Goldberg • Wirtz • Shultz • Hodgson • Brennan • Dunlop • Usery • Marshall • Donovan • Brock • McLaughlin • Dole • Martin • Reich • Herman • Chao • Solis