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United States Secretary of War

Position in the United States Cabinet from 1789 to 1947

Field	Value
post	United States Secretary
body	War
insignia	Seal of the United States Department of War.png
insigniacaption	Official seal
flag	Flag of the United States Secretary of the Army.svg
flagcaption	Flag of the secretary
image	Gilbert Stuart - Major-General Henry Dearborn - 1913.793 - Art Institute of Chicago.jpg
imagecaption	**Longest serving
Henry Dearborn**
March 5, 1801 – March 4, 1809
department	United States Department of War
style	Mr. Secretary
type	Secretary
status	Abolished
member_of	Cabinet
reports_to	President of the United States
seat	Washington, D.C.
appointer	The president
appointer_qualified	with Senate advice and consent
termlength	No fixed term
precursor	Secretary at War
formation	September 12, 1789
first	Henry Knox
last	Kenneth C. Royall
abolished	September 18, 1947
superseded_by	Secretary of Defense
Secretary of the Army
Secretary of the Air Force
succession	6th in the line of succession
website

Note

the historical position (1789–1947)

The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation between 1781 and 1789. Benjamin Lincoln and later Henry Knox held the position. When Washington was inaugurated as the first president under the Constitution, he appointed Knox to continue serving as secretary of war.

The secretary of war was the head of the War Department. At first, he was responsible for the United States Army and the Navy. In 1798, the secretary of the Navy was created by statute, and the scope of responsibility for the War Department was reduced to the Army. From 1886 onward, the secretary of war was in the line of succession to the presidency, after the vice president of the United States, the speaker of the House of Representatives, the president pro tempore of the Senate and the secretary of state.

In 1947, with the passing of the National Security Act of 1947, the secretary of war was replaced by the secretary of the Army and the secretary of the Air Force and a new secretary, the secretary of defense, was created for coordination of the services. Since 1949, the service secretaries, Army, Air Force, and Navy, have been non-Cabinet subordinates under the secretary of defense. The secretary of the Army's office is generally considered the direct successor to the secretary of war's office, with the new secretary of defense taking the secretaries of war and navy positions in the Cabinet, and the line of succession to the presidency.

List of secretaries

Secretary at War (1781–1789)

The office of secretary at war was modeled upon Great Britain's secretary at war, who was William Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington, at the time of the American Revolution. The office of secretary at war was meant to replace both the commander-in-chief and the Board of War, and like the president of the board, the secretary wore no special insignia. The inspector general, quartermaster general, commissary general, and adjutant general served on the secretary's staff. However, the Army itself under Secretary Henry Knox only consisted of 700 men.

No.	Image	Name	Home State	Start	End	Appointer
1	[[File:General Benjamin Lincoln-restored (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]		Massachusetts			Congress of the Confederation
2	[[File:Henry Knox by Gilbert Stuart 1806 (3x4 cropped).jpeg	75px]]		Massachusetts

Secretary of War (1789–1947)

; Parties (4) (8) (14) (5) (25)

No.	Image	Name	Start	End	Duration	Party	Home State
1	[[File:Henry Knox by Gilbert Stuart 1806 (3x4 cropped).jpeg	75px]]					Federalist Party (United States)}};"	Federalist	Massachusetts
2	[[File:PORTRAIT OF TIMOTHY PICKERING, 3RD SECRETARY OF STATE PRESIDENT GEORGE WASHINGTON AND JOHN ADAMS (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Federalist Party (United States)}};"	Federalist	Pennsylvania
3	[[File:JMcHenry.jpg	75px]]					Federalist Party (United States)}};"	Federalist	Maryland
Federalist Party (United States)}};"
(1797–1801)
4	[[File:Samuel Dexter.jpg	75px]]					Federalist Party (United States)}};"	Federalist	Massachusetts
5	[[File:Gilbert Stuart - Major-General Henry Dearborn - 1913.793 - Art Institute of Chicago (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Democratic-Republican Party (United States)}};"	Democratic-Republican	Massachusetts
6	[[File:William Eustis.jpg	75px]]					Democratic-Republican Party (United States)}};"	Democratic-Republican	Massachusetts
7	[[File:John Wesley Jarvis - John Armstrong - NPG.72.12 - National Portrait Gallery (cropped).jpg	75px]]					Democratic-Republican Party (United States)}};"	Democratic-Republican	New York
8	[[File:John Vanderlyn - James Monroe - Google Art Project (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Democratic-Republican Party (United States)}};"	Democratic-Republican	Virginia
9	[[File:William Harris Crawford by John Wesley Jarvis (PAFA) (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Democratic-Republican Party (United States)}};"	Democratic-Republican	Georgia
10	[[File:JCCalhoun-1822 (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Democratic-Republican Party (United States)}};"	Democratic-Republican	South Carolina
11	[[File:Portrait of James Barbour, by Chester Harding (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Democratic-Republican Party (United States)}};"	Democratic-Republican	Virginia
12	[[File:Peter Buell Porter.jpg	75px]]					Democratic-Republican Party (United States)}};"	Democratic-Republican	New York
13	[[File:John Eaton.jpg	75px]]					Democratic Party (United States)}};"	Democratic	Tennessee
14	[[File:Lewis Cass (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Democratic Party (United States)}};"	Democratic	Ohio
15	[[File:JRP-SoW, S.jpg	75px]]					Democratic Party (United States)}};"	Democratic	South Carolina
16	[[File:John Bell (Restored) (3x4 cropped).png	75px]]					Whig Party (United States)}};"	Whig	South Carolina
Whig Party (United States)}};"
(1841–1845)
17	[[File:SPENCER, John C-Treasury (BEP engraved portrait) (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Whig Party (United States)}};"	Whig	New York
18	[[File:PorterJM.jpg	75px]]					Whig Party (United States)}};"	Whig	Pennsylvania
19	[[File:William Wilkins United States Senator - Brady-Handy (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Democratic Party (United States)}};"	Democratic	Pennsylvania
20	[[File:William L. Marcy - Brady-Handy.jpg	75px]]					Democratic Party (United States)}};"	Democratic	New York
21	[[File:GeorgeWCrawford.jpg	75px]]					Whig Party (United States)}};"	Whig	Georgia
22	[[File:Charles Magill Conrad.jpg	75px]]					Whig Party (United States)}};"	Whig	Virginia
23	[[File:Jefferson Davis 1853 daguerreotype-restored (3x4 cropped).png	75px]]					Democratic Party (United States)}};"	Democratic	Mississippi
24	[[File:John Buchanan Floyd (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Democratic Party (United States)}};"	Democratic	Virginia
25	[[File:Judge Joseph Holt - NARA - 526106 (3x4a).jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	Kentucky
26	[[File:Smn Cameron-SecofWar (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	Pennsylvania
27	[[File:Edwin McMasters Stanton Secretary of War (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]
Suspended: August 12, 1867 – January 14, 1868			Republican Party (United States)}};"		Republican	Pennsylvania
Democratic Party (United States)}};"
(1865–1869)
–	[[File:Ulysses S Grant by Brady c1870-restored (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]
Acting				Republican Party (United States)}};"		Republican	Ohio
28	[[File:John Schofield - Brady-Handy (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	Illinois
29	[[File:John Aaron Rawlins-Brady-Handy Seated (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	Illinois
–	[[File:General William T. Sherman Portrait (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]
Acting				Republican Party (United States)}};"		Republican	Ohio
30	[[File:WWBelknap.jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	Iowa
31	[[File:Alphonso Taft - cropped and retouched.jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	Ohio
32	[[File:James Donald Cameron Brady-Handy (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	Pennsylvania
33	[[File:George Washington McCrary, Brady-Handy bw photo portrait, ca1860-1875 (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	Iowa
34	[[File:Alexander Ramsey - Brady-Handy (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	Minnesota
35	[[File:Robert Todd Lincoln, Brady-Handy bw photo portrait, ca1870-1880-Edit1 (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	Illinois
Republican Party (United States)}};"
(1881–1885)
36	[[File:William Endicott, 1886 (cropped).jpg	75px]]					Democratic Party (United States)}};"	Democratic	Massachusetts
37	[[File:Redfield Proctor, bw photo portrait, 1904.jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	Vermont
38	[[File:Stephen Benton Elkins Restore (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	West Virginia
39	[[File:Daniel Lamont, bw photo portrait, 1904 (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Democratic Party (United States)}};"	Democratic	New York
40	[[File:Russell Alexander Alger by The Detroit Publishing Co. - retouched from older copy.jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	Michigan
41	[[File:Elihu Root, bw photo portrait, 1902.jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	New York
Republican Party (United States)}};"
(1901–1909)
42	[[File:William Howard Taft, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing front.jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	Ohio
43	[[File:Secretary Luke Edward Wright.jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	Tennessee
44	[[File:DICKINSON, J.M. JUDGE (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Democratic Party (United States)}};"	Democratic	Tennessee
45	[[File:Henry Stimson, Harris & Ewing bw photo portrait, 1929 (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	New York
46	[[File:Lindley Garrison, BW photo portrait, 1913.jpg	75px]]					Democratic Party (United States)}};"	Democratic	New Jersey
47	[[File:BAKER, NEWTON D. HONORABLE (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Democratic Party (United States)}};"	Democratic	Ohio
48	[[File:John Wingate Weeks, Bain bw photo portrait.jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	Massachusetts
Republican Party (United States)}};"
(1923–1929)
49	[[File:Dwight Davis, Bain bw photo portrait.jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	Missouri
50	[[File:Jas. W. Good, Iowa (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	Iowa
51	[[File:Patrick J. Hurley, 1935 (cropped).jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	Oklahoma
52	[[File:George Dern, Bain bw photo portrait.jpg	75px]]					Democratic Party (United States)}};"	Democratic	Utah
53	[[File:Harry Hines Woodring, 53rd United States Secretary of War.jpg	75px]]					Democratic Party (United States)}};"	Democratic	Kansas
54	[[File:Henry Stimson, Harris & Ewing bw photo portrait, 1929 (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	New York
Democratic Party (United States)}};"
(1945–1953)
55	[[File:Portrait of Robert P. Patterson 111-C-C2512 (tight crop) (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Republican Party (United States)}};"	Republican	New York
56	[[File:Kenneth Claiborne Royall portrait (3x4 cropped).jpg	75px]]					Democratic Party (United States)}};"	Democratic	North Carolina

References

Footnotes

References

[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?hlaw:7:./temp/~ammem_WqlO:: Unknown]{{dead link. (January 2024)
"Papers of the War Department". Wardepartmentpapers.org.

Info: Wikipedia Source

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