United States Secretary of Defense

The United States Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) is the head of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The role was made in 1947. The Secretary of Defense is sixth in line to the United States presidential line of succession.

United States Secretary of Defense
Seal of the Department[1]
Flag of the Secretary[2]
Incumbent Lloyd Austin since January 22, 2021
United States Department of Defense Office of the Secretary of Defense
Style	Mr. Secretary (informal) The Honorable (formal)
Status	Leader and chief executive
Abbreviation	SecDef
Member of	Cabinet National Security Council
Reports to	President of the United States
Seat	The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia
Appointer	The President with Senate advice and consent
Term length	No fixed term
Constituting instrument	10 U.S.C. § 113 50 U.S.C. § 401
Precursor	Secretary of War Secretary of the Navy
Formation	September 17, 1947 (1947-09-17)
First holder	James Forrestal
Succession	Sixth[3]
Deputy	Deputy Secretary of Defense
Salary	Executive Schedule, level I[4]
Website	www.defense.gov

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld with Vice President Nelson Rockefeller

List of Secretaries

Parties

  Democratic   Republican   Political Independent

Status

  Denotes an Acting Secretary of Defense

No.		Secretary of Defense	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	State of residence	President serving under	Ref
1		Forrestal, JamesJames Forrestal (1892–1949)	September 17, 1947	March 28, 1949	1 year, 192 days	Democratic	New York	Truman, HarryHarry S Truman (Democratic)	[5]
2		Johnson, LouisLouis A. Johnson (1891–1966)	March 28, 1949	September 19, 1950	1 year, 175 days	Democratic	West Virginia	Truman, HarryHarry S Truman (Democratic)	[6]
3		Marshall, GeorgeGeorge Marshall (1880–1959)	September 21, 1950	September 12, 1951	356 days	Independent	Pennsylvania	Truman, HarryHarry S Truman (Democratic)	[7]
4		Lovett, RobertRobert A. Lovett (1895–1986)	September 17, 1951	January 20, 1953	1 year, 125 days	Republican	New York	Truman, HarryHarry S Truman (Democratic)	[8]
5		Wilson, CharlesCharles Erwin Wilson (1890–1961)	January 28, 1953	October 8, 1957	4 years, 253 days	Republican	Michigan	Eisenhower, DwightDwight D. Eisenhower (Republican)	[9]
6		McElroy, NeilNeil H. McElroy (1904–1972)	October 9, 1957	December 1, 1959	2 years, 53 days	Republican	Ohio	Eisenhower, DwightDwight D. Eisenhower (Republican)	[10]
7		Gates, ThomasThomas S. Gates Jr. (1906–1983)	December 2, 1959	January 20, 1961	1 year, 49 days	Republican	Pennsylvania	Eisenhower, DwightDwight D. Eisenhower (Republican)	[11]
8		McNamara, RobertRobert McNamara (1916–2009)	January 21, 1961	February 29, 1968	7 years, 39 days	Republican	Michigan	Kennedy, JohnJohn F. Kennedy (Democratic) Lyndon B. Johnson (Democratic)	[12]
9		Clifford, ClarkClark Clifford (1906–1998)	March 1, 1968	January 20, 1969	325 days	Democratic	Maryland	Johnson, LyndonLyndon B. Johnson (Democratic)	[13]
10		Laird, MelvinMelvin R. Laird (1922–2016)	January 22, 1969	January 29, 1973	4 years, 7 days	Republican	Wisconsin	Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (Republican)	[14]
11		Richardson, ElliotElliot Richardson (1920–1999)	January 30, 1973	May 24, 1973	114 days	Republican	Massachusetts	Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (Republican)	[15]
–		Clements, BillBill Clements (1917–2011) Acting	May 24, 1973	July 2, 1973[source?]	39 days	Republican	Texas	Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (Republican)	[16]
12		Schlesinger, JamesJames R. Schlesinger (1929–2014)	July 2, 1973	November 19, 1975	2 years, 140 days	Republican	Virginia	Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (Republican) Gerald Ford (Republican)	[17]
13		Rumsfeld, DonaldDonald Rumsfeld (born 1932)	November 20, 1975	January 20, 1977	1 year, 61 days	Republican	Illinois	Ford, GeraldGerald Ford (Republican)	[18]
14		Brown, HaroldHarold Brown (1927–2019)	January 20, 1977	January 20, 1981	4 years, 0 days	Independent	California	Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter (Democratic)	[19]
15		Weinberger, CasparCaspar Weinberger (1917–2006)	January 21, 1981	November 23, 1987	6 years, 306 days	Republican	California	Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan (Republican)	[20]
16		Carlucci, FrankFrank Carlucci (1930–2018)	November 23, 1987	January 20, 1989	1 year, 58 days	Republican	Virginia	Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan (Republican)	[21]
–		Taft, WilliamWilliam Howard Taft IV (born 1945) Acting	January 20, 1989	March 21, 1989	60 days	Republican	Ohio	Bush, GeorgeGeorge H. W. Bush (Republican)	[22]
17		Cheney, DickDick Cheney (born 1941)	March 21, 1989	January 20, 1993	3 years, 305 days	Republican	Wyoming	Bush, GeorgeGeorge H. W. Bush (Republican)	[23]
18		Aspin, LesLeslie Aspin (1938–1995)	January 20, 1993[24][25]	February 3, 1994	1 year, 14 days	Democratic	Wisconsin	Clinton, BillBill Clinton (Democratic)	[26]
19		Perry, WilliamWilliam Perry (born 1927)	February 3, 1994	January 23, 1997[27] / January 24, 1997[24][28]	2 years, 356 days	Independent	Pennsylvania	Clinton, BillBill Clinton (Democratic)	.
20		Cohen, WilliamWilliam Cohen (born 1940)	January 24, 1997	January 20, 2001	3 years, 362 days	Republican	Maine	Clinton, BillBill Clinton (Democratic)	[29]
21		Rumsfeld, DonaldDonald Rumsfeld (born 1932)	January 20, 2001	December 18, 2006	5 years, 332 days (7 years, 29 days total)	Republican	Illinois	Bush, George W.George W. Bush (Republican)	[30]
22		Gates, RobertRobert Gates (born 1943)	December 18, 2006	June 30, 2011[31] / July 1, 2011[24]	4 years, 194 days	Republican	Texas	Bush, George W.George W. Bush (Republican) Barack Obama (Democratic)	.
23		Panetta, LeonLeon Panetta (born 1938)	July 1, 2011	February 26, 2013	1 year, 240 days	Democratic	California	Obama, BarackBarack Obama (Democratic)	[32]
24		Hagel, ChuckChuck Hagel (born 1946)	February 27, 2013	February 17, 2015	1 year, 355 days	Republican	Nebraska	Obama, BarackBarack Obama (Democratic)	[33]
25		Carter, AshAsh Carter (born 1954)	February 17, 2015	January 20, 2017	1 year, 338 days	Democratic	Massachusetts	Obama, BarackBarack Obama (Democratic)	[34][24]
26		Mattis, JimJim Mattis (born 1950)	January 20, 2017	January 1, 2019	1 year, 345 days	Independent	Washington	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Republican)	[35]
–		Shanahan, PatrickPatrick M. Shanahan (born 1962) Acting	January 1, 2019	June 23, 2019	173 days	Independent	Washington	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Republican)	[36]
–		Esper, MarkMark Esper (born 1964) Acting	June 24, 2019	July 15, 2019	21 days	Republican	Virginia	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Republican)	[37]
–		Esper, MarkRichard V. Spencer (born 1954) Acting	July 15, 2019	July 23, 2019	8 days	Republican	Wyoming	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Republican)	[38]
27		Esper, MarkMark Esper (born 1964)	July 23, 2019	November 9, 2020	1 year, 109 days	Republican	Virginia	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Republican)	[37]
–		Miller, Christopher C.{{{officeholder}}} (born 1965) Acting	November 9, 2020	January 20, 2021	72 days	Republican	Iowa	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (Republican)	[37]
–		Norquist, David L.David Norquist (born 1966) Acting	January 20, 2021	January 22, 2021	1 day	Republican	Massachusetts	Biden, JoeJoe Biden (Democratic)	[39]
28		Norquist, David L.Lloyd Austin (born 1953)	January 22, 2021		3 years, 224 days	Independent	Alabama	Biden, JoeJoe Biden (Democratic)	[source?]

References

1. Trask & Goldberg: p. 177.
2. "Positional Colors for the Department of Defense". www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil. Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
3. "3 U.S. Code § 19 – Vacancy in offices of both President and Vice President; officers eligible to act".
4. 5 U.S.C. § 5312
5. "James V. Forrestal – Harry S. Truman Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
6. "Louis A. Johnson – Harry S. Truman Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
7. "George C. Marshall – Harry S. Truman Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
8. "Robert A. Lovett – Harry S. Truman Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
9. "Charles E. Wilson – Dwight D. Eisenhower Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
10. "Neil H. McElroy -Dwight D. Eisenhower Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
11. "Thomas S. Gates, Jr. – Dwight D. Eisenhower Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
12. "Robert S. McNamara – John F. Kennedy / Lyndon Johnson Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
13. "Clark M. Gifford – Lyndon Johnson Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
14. "Melvin R. Laird – Richard Nixon Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
15. "Elliot L. Richardson – Richard Nixon Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
16. Cantwell, Gerald T. (1997). Citizen Airmen: A History of the Air Force Reserve 1946–1994. DIANE Publishing. p. 252. ISBN 9781428991620. In June 1973, Representative O. C. Fisher complained to William P. Clements, Jr., acting Secretary of Defense, that the authority, responsibility, and, consequently, effectiveness of the chiefs of the various reserve components seemed to be eroding.
17. "James R. Schlesinger – Richard Nixon / Gerald Ford Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
18. "Donald H. Rumsfeld – Gerald Ford Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
19. "Harold Brown – James Carter Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
20. "Caspar W. Weinberger – Ronald Reagan Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
21. "Frank C. Carlucci – Ronald Reagan Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
22. "II. Secretaries of Defense". Washington Headquarters Services – Pentagon Digital Library. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2019. (Deputy Secretary of Defense William H. Taft served as acting secretary of defense from 20 January 1989 until 21 March 1989).
23. "Richard B. Cheney – George H.W. Bush Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
24. Department of Defense Key Officials September 1947 – February 2019
25. "Les Aspin Serves One Year As Defense Secretary".
26. "Leslie Aspin – William J. Clinton Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
27. "William J. Perry – William J. Clinton Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
28. "II. Secretaries of Defense". Washington Headquarters Services – Pentagon Digital Library. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2019. Sworn in as secretary of defense on 3 February 1994 and served until 24 January 1997.
29. "William S. Cohen – William J. Clinton Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
30. "Donald H. Rumsfeld – George W. Bush Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
31. "Robert M. Gates – George W. Bush / Barack Obama Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
32. "Leon E. Panetta – Barack Obama Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
33. "Chuck Hagel – Barack Obama Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
34. "Ashton B. Carter – Barack Obama Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
35. "James N. Mattis – Donald Trump Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
36. "PN583 — Patrick M. Shanahan — Department of Defense". www.congress.gov. Library of Congress. July 18, 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
37. "Dr. Mark T. Esper – Acting Secretary of Defense". United States Department of Defense. June 24, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
38. "Letter from Acting Secretary of Defense Richard V. Spencer to Pentagon". USNI News. July 15, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
39. "Trump administration official Norquist sworn in as acting Pentagon chief". thehill.com. 20 January 2021. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2021.

Other websites

• "Top Civilian and Military Leaders". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved October 13, 2007. – Includes the Secretary of Defense
• More information on each position and biographies of the current Deputy Secretary (DepSecDef) and Under Secretaries (USDs)