Discover

'United States Secretary of State'
'Official seal'
Incumbent:	'Condoleezza Rice'
First Secretary of State:	Thomas Jefferson
Formation:	April 6, 1789
Presidential Line of Succession:	Fourth

The 'United States Secretary of State' is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet. He or she is the highest rank cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence.

Contents

History

Functions

Lists of Secretaries of State

List of Acting Secretaries of State

See also

References

External links

History

On January 13, 1781, the Second Continental Congress created the office of Secretary of Foreign Affairs to head a "Department of Foreign Affairs". On July 27, 1789, George Washington signed a congressional bill into law reauthorizing an executive Department of Foreign Affairs headed by a Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Congress then passed another law giving certain additional domestic responsibilities to the new Department and changing its name to the Department of State and the name of head of the department to the 'Secretary of State', and Washington approved this act on September 15, 1789. The new domestic duties assigned to the newly renamed department were receipt, publication, distribution, and preservation of laws of the United States, custody of the Great Seal of the United States, authentication of copies and preparation of commissions of executive branch appointments, and finally custody of the books, papers, and records of the Continental Congress including the Constitution itself and the Declaration of Independence.
The title of Secretary of State is British in origin. At the time of American independence, "Secretary of State" was a title given to senior members of the King's cabinet (e.g., "Secretary of State in Charge of Colonies"). The position of "Secretary of State of the United States" was thus intended to be the most general and important office in the U.S. government, after the Presidency.
Particularly in the early years of the republic, the post was regarded as a natural stepping-stone to the Presidency. Secretaries of State who later occupied the White House included Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren and James Buchanan. Secretaries who unsuccessfully ran for President (either before or after their service at the State Department) were Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, John C. Calhoun, William H. Seward, James G. Blaine, Walter Q. Gresham, John Sherman, Elihu Root, William Jennings Bryan, Charles Evans Hughes and Edmund Muskie.
The current Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, has been mentioned as a Presidential or Vice Presidential prospect, although she has denied any such ambition.

Functions

Most of the non-original domestic functions of the Department of State have been transferred to other agencies. Those that remain in the Department are: storage and use of the Great Seal of the United States, performance of protocol functions for the White House, drafting of certain proclamations, formally accepting notice of the president's resignation, and replies to inquiries. In addition, the Secretary performs such duties as the President is required, in accordance with the United States Constitution, relating to correspondence, commission, or instructions to U.S. or consuls abroad, and to conduct negotiations with foreign representatives. The Secretary has also served as principal adviser to the President in the determination of U.S. foreign policy and in recent decades has become responsible for overall direction, coordination, and supervision of interdepartmental activities of the U.S. Government overseas, excepting certain military activities.
As the highest-ranking Cabinet member, the Secretary of State is fourth in line to succeed the Presidency, after the Vice President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and President pro tempore of the Senate. ''(See United States presidential line of succession.)''
Federal law provides that resignation from the Presidency is effected only by written communication from the President to the Secretary of State. (3 U.S.C. Section 20). This has only occurred once, when President Richard Nixon resigned in August 1974 via a letter to Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

Lists of Secretaries of State

#	Picture	Name	State of Residency	Term of Office		President(s) served under
				Start	End
1	Thomas Jefferson	Thomas Jefferson	Virginia	September 26, 1789	December 31, 1793	George Washington
2	Edmund Randolph	Edmund Randolph	Virginia	January 2, 1794	August 20, 1795	George Washington
3	Timothy Pickering	Timothy Pickering	Massachusetts	December 10, 1795	May 12, 1800	George Washington, John Adams
4	John Marshall	John Marshall	Virginia	June 13, 1800	February 4, 1801	John Adams
5	James Madison	James Madison	Virginia	May 2, 1801	March 3, 1809	Thomas Jefferson
6	Robert Smith	Robert Smith	Maryland	March 6, 1809	April 1, 1811	James Madison
7	James Monroe	James Monroe	Virginia	April 2, 1811	September 30, 1814	James Madison
				February 28, 1815	March 3, 1817
8	John Quincy Adams	John Quincy Adams	Massachusetts	March 5, 1817	March 3, 1825	James Monroe
9	Henry Clay	Henry Clay	Kentucky	March 7, 1825	March 3, 1829	John Quincy Adams
10	Martin Van Buren	Martin Van Buren	New York	March 28, 1829	May 23, 1831	Andrew Jackson
11	Edward Livingston	Edward Livingston	Louisiana	May 24, 1831	May 29, 1833	Andrew Jackson
12	Louis McLane	Louis McLane	Delaware	May 29, 1833	June 30, 1834	Andrew Jackson
13	John Forsyth	John Forsyth	Georgia	July 1, 1834	March 3, 1841	Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren
14	Daniel Webster	Daniel Webster	Massachusetts	March 6, 1841	May 8, 1843	William Harrison, John Tyler
15	Abel P. Upshur	Abel P. Upshur	Virginia	July 24, 1843	February 28, 1844	John Tyler
16	John C. Calhoun	John C. Calhoun	South Carolina	April 1, 1844	March 10, 1845	John Tyler [1]
17	James Buchanan	James Buchanan	Pennsylvania	March 10, 1845	March 7, 1849	James Polk 1
18	John M. Clayton	John M. Clayton	Delaware	March 8, 1849	July 22, 1850	Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore
19	Daniel Webster	Daniel Webster	Massachusetts	July 23, 1850	October 24, 1852	Millard Fillmore
20	Edward Everett	Edward Everett	Massachusetts	November 6, 1852	March 3, 1853	Millard Fillmore
21	William L. Marcy	William L. Marcy	New York	March 7, 1853	March 6, 1857	Franklin Pierce 1
22	Lewis Cass	Lewis Cass	Michigan	March 6, 1857	December 14, 1860	James Buchanan
23	Jermiah S. Black	Jeremiah S. Black	Pennsylvania	December 17, 1860	March 5, 1861	James Buchanan 1
24	William M. Seward	William H. Seward	New York	March 5, 1861	March 4, 1869	Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson
25	Elihu B. Washburne	Elihu B. Washburne	Illinois	March 5, 1869	March 16, 1869	Ulysses Grant
26	Hamilton Fish	Hamilton Fish	New York	March 17, 1869	March 12, 1877	Ulysses Grant 1
27	William M. Evarts	William M. Evarts	New York	March 12, 1877	March 7, 1881	Rutherford Hayes 1
28	James G. Blaine	James G. Blaine	Maine	March 7, 1881	December 19, 1881	James Garfield, Chester A. Arthur
29	Frederick T. Frelinghuysen	Frederick T. Frelinghuysen	New Jersey	December 19, 1881	March 6, 1885	Chester Arthur 1
30	Thomas F. Bayard	Thomas F. Bayard, Sr.	Delaware	March 7, 1885	March 6, 1889	Grover Cleveland 1
31	James G. Blaine	James G. Blaine	Maine	March 7, 1889	June 4, 1892	Benjamin Harrison
32	John W. Foster	John W. Foster	Indiana	June 29, 1892	February 23, 1893	Benjamin Harrison
33	Walter Q. Gresham	Walter Q. Gresham	Illinois	March 7, 1893	May 28, 1895	Grover Cleveland
34	Richard Olney	Richard Olney	Massachusetts	June 10, 1895	March 5, 1897	Grover Cleveland 1
35	John Sherman	John Sherman	Ohio	March 6, 1897	April 27, 1898	William McKinley
36	William R. Day	William R. Day	Ohio	April 28, 1898	September 16, 1898	William McKinley
37	John Hay	John Hay	District of Columbia	September 30, 1898	July 1, 1905	William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt
38	Elihu Root	Elihu Root	New York	July 19, 1905	January 27, 1909	Theodore Roosevelt
39	Robert Bacon	Robert Bacon	New York	January 27, 1909	March 5, 1909	Theodore Roosevelt 1
40	Philander C. Knox	Philander C. Knox	Pennsylvania	March 6, 1909	March 5, 1913	William Taft 1
41	William Jennings Bryan	William Jennings Bryan	Nebraska	March 5, 1913	June 9, 1915	Woodrow Wilson
42	Robert Lansing	Robert Lansing	New York	June 24, 1915	February 13, 1920	Woodrow Wilson
43	Bainbridge Colby	Bainbridge Colby	New York	March 23, 1920	March 4, 1921	Woodrow Wilson
44	Charles Evans Hughes	Charles Evans Hughes	New York	March 5, 1921	March 4, 1925	Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge
45	Frank B. Kellogg	Frank B. Kellogg	Minnesota	March 5, 1925	March 28, 1929	Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover
46	Henry L. Stimson	Henry L. Stimson	New York	March 28, 1929	March 4, 1933	Herbert Hoover
47	Cordell Hull	Cordell Hull	Tennessee	March 4, 1933	November 30, 1944	Franklin Roosevelt
48	Edward Stettinius, Jr.	Edward Stettinius, Jr.	Virginia	December 1, 1944	June 27, 1945	Franklin Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman
49	James F. Byrnes	James F. Byrnes	South Carolina	July 3, 1945	January 21, 1947	Harry Truman
50	George Marshall	George Marshall	Pennsylvania	January 21, 1947	January 20, 1949	Harry Truman
51	Dean Acheson	Dean Acheson	Maryland	January 21, 1949	January 20, 1953	Harry Truman
52	John Foster Dulles	John Foster Dulles	New York	January 21, 1953	April 22, 1959	Dwight Eisenhower
53	Christian Herter	Christian Herter	Massachusetts	April 22, 1959	January 20, 1961	Dwight Eisenhower
54	Dean Rusk	Dean Rusk	New York	January 21, 1961	January 20, 1969	John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson
55	William P. Rogers	William P. Rogers	Maryland	January 22, 1969	September 3, 1973	Richard Nixon
56	Henry Kissinger	Henry Kissinger	District of Columbia	September 22, 1973	January 20, 1977	Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford
57	Cyrus Vance	Cyrus Vance	New York	January 23, 1977	April 28, 1980	Jimmy Carter
58	Edmund Muskie	Edmund Muskie	Maine	May 8, 1980	January 18, 1981	Jimmy Carter
59	Alexander Haig	Alexander Haig	Connecticut	January 22, 1981	July 5, 1982	Ronald Reagan
60	George P. Shultz	George P. Shultz	California	July 16, 1982	January 20, 1989	Ronald Reagan
61	James Baker	James Baker	Texas	January 25, 1989	August 23, 1992	George H. W. Bush
62	Lawrence Eagleburger	Lawrence Eagleburger	Florida	December 8, 1992	January 19, 1993	George H. W. Bush
63	Warren Christopher	Warren Christopher	California	January 20, 1993	January 17, 1997	Bill Clinton
64		Madeleine Albright	District of Columbia	January 23, 1997	January 19, 2001	Bill Clinton
65	Colin Powell	Colin Powell	Virginia	January 20, 2001	January 26, 2005	George W. Bush
66	Condolezza Rice	Condoleezza Rice	California	January 26, 2005	Present	George W. Bush

1. In addition to the President listed, this Secretary of State served for a brief period of time (eight days or less) under that President's successor until a replacement could be named and confirmed.

List of Acting Secretaries of State

When there is a vacancy as Secretary, the United States Assistant Secretary of State or the United States Deputy Secretary of State serves as Acting Secretary of State until the President nominates and the United States Senate confirms a new Secretary.

#	Name	Term of Office		President(s) served under
		Start	End
1	John Jay	March 4, 1790	March 22, 1790	George Washington
2	Timothy Pickering	August 20, 1795	December 9, 1795	George Washington
3	Charles Lee	May 13, 1800	June 5, 1800	John Adams
4	John Marshall	February 4, 1801	March 4, 1801	John Adams
5	Levi Lincoln, Sr.	March 5, 1801	May 1, 1801	Thomas Jefferson
6	John Graham	March 4, 1817	March 9, 1817	James Monroe
7	Richard Rush	March 10, 1817	September 22, 1817	James Monroe
8	Daniel Brent	March 4, 1825	March 7, 1825	John Quincy Adams
9	James A. Hamilton	March 4, 1829	March 27, 1829	Andrew Jackson
10	Jacob L. Martin	March 4, 1841	March 5, 1841	William Henry Harrison
11	Hugh S. Legaré	May 9, 1843	June 20, 1843	John Tyler
12	William S. Derrick	June 21, 1843	June 23, 1843	John Tyler
13	Abel P. Upshur	June 24, 1843	July 23, 1843	John Tyler
14	John Nelson	February 29, 1844	March 31, 1844	John Tyler
15	Charles M. Conrad	October 25, 1852	November 5, 1852	Millard Fillmore
16	William Hunter	March 4, 1853	March 7, 1853	Franklin Pierce
17	William Hunter	December 15, 1860	December 16, 1860	James Buchanan
18	William F. Wharton	June 4, 1892	June 29, 1892	Benjamin Harrison
19	William F. Wharton	February 24, 1893	March 6, 1893	Benjamin Harrison (2/24-3/4), Grover Cleveland (3/4-3/6)
20	Edwin F. Uhl	May 28, 1895	June 9, 1895	Grover Cleveland
21	Alvey A. Adee	September 17, 1898	September 29, 1898	William McKinley
22	Francis B. Loomis	July 1, 1905	July 18, 1905	Theodore Roosevelt
23	Robert Lansing	June 9, 1915	June 23, 1915	Woodrow Wilson
24	Frank L. Polk	February 14, 1920	March 12, 1920	Woodrow Wilson
25	Joseph C. Grew	June 28, 1945	July 3, 1945	Harry S. Truman
26	H. Freeman Matthews	January 20, 1953	January 21, 1953	Dwight Eisenhower
27	Livingston T. Merchant	January 20, 1961	January 21, 1961	John F. Kennedy
28	Charles E. Bohlen	January 20, 1969	January 22, 1969	Richard Nixon
29	Kenneth Rush	September 3, 1973	September 22, 1973	Richard Nixon
30	Philip C. Habib	January 20, 1977	January 23, 1977	Jimmy Carter
31	Warren Christopher	April 28, 1980	May 2, 1980	Jimmy Carter
32	David Newsom	May 2, 1980	May 3, 1980	Jimmy Carter
33	Richard N. Cooper	May 3, 1980		Jimmy Carter
34	David Newsom	May 3, 1980	May 4, 1980	Jimmy Carter
35	Warren Christopher	May 4, 1980	May 8, 1980	Jimmy Carter
36	Walter J. Stoessel, Jr.	July 5, 1982	July 16, 1982	Ronald Reagan
37	Michael H. Armacost	January 20, 1989	January 25, 1989	George H. W. Bush
38	Lawrence Eagleburger	August 23, 1992	December 8, 1992	George H. W. Bush
39	Arnold Lee Kanter	January 20, 1993		Bill Clinton
40	Frank G. Wisner	January 20, 1993		Bill Clinton

See also

★ United States Deputy Secretary of State

★ United States Assistant Secretary of State

★ United States Second Assistant Secretary of State

References

★ Secretaries of State, 1791-2005

External links

★ The Department of State's organization page.

★ The Department of State's list of current or former positions and titles.

★ The Department of State's list of Secretaries of State