United States Secretary of War

The Secretary of War was a member of the President's Cabinet since Washington's administration. At first, he was responsible for all military affairs. In 1798, the Secretary of the Navy was added to the cabinet, and the scope of this office was reduced to a general concern with the Army. In 1947, the departments were recombined under the Secretary of Defense. The Secretary of War was replaced by the Secretary of the Army[?], a non-Cabinet position under the Secretary of Defense.

The Secretaries of War

Name Year appointed President(s) served under

Henry Knox 1789 George Washington

Timothy Pickering[?] 1795 Washington

James McHenry[?] 1796 Washington, John Adams

Samuel Dexter 1800 John Adams

Henry Dearborn 1801-1809 Thomas Jefferson

William Eustis[?] 1809-1813 James Madison

John Armstrong, Jr.[?] 1813-1814 Madison

James Monroe 1814-1815 Madison

William Harris Crawford[?] 1815-1816 Madison

John C. Calhoun 1817-1825 James Monroe

James Barbour[?] 1825-1828 John Quincy Adams

Peter Buell Porter[?] 1828-1829 John Quincy Adams

John Henry Eaton[?] 1829-1831 Andrew Jackson

Lewis Cass 1831-1836 Jackson

Joel Roberts Poinsett[?] 1837-1841 Martin Van Buren

John Bell[?] 1841 William Henry Harrison,
John Tyler

John C. Spencer[?] 1841-1843 Tyler

James Madison Porter[?] 1843-1844 Tyler

William Wilkins[?] 1844-1845 Tyler

William L. Marcy[?] 1845-1849 James Polk

George Walker Crawford[?] 1849-1850 Zachary Taylor

Charles Magill Conrad[?] 1850-1853 Millard Fillmore

Jefferson Davis 1853-1857 Franklin Pierce

John Buchanan Floyd[?] 1857-1860 James Buchanan

Joseph Holt[?] 1861 Buchanan

Simon Cameron[?] 1861-1862 Abraham Lincoln

Edwin M. Stanton[?] 1862-1868 Lincoln, Andrew Johnson

John M. Schofield[?] 1868-1869 Johnson

John Aaron Rawlins[?] 1869 Ulysses Simpson Grant

William Tecumseh Sherman 1869 Grant

William W. Belknap[?] 1869-1876 Grant

Alphonso Taft[?] 1876 Grant

J. Donald Cameron[?] 1876-1877 Grant

George Washington McCrary[?] 1877-1879 Rutherford B. Hayes

Alexander Ramsey 1879-1881 Hayes

Robert Todd Lincoln[?] 1881-1885 Chester Alan Arthur

William C. Endicott[?] 1885-1889 Grover Cleveland

Redfield Proctor[?] 1889-1891 Benjamin Harrison

Stephen B. Elkins[?] 1891-1893 Harrison

Daniel Scott Lamont[?] 1893-1897 Cleveland (2nd term)

Russell A. Alger[?] 1897-1899 William McKinley

Elihu Root[?] 1899-1904 McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt

William Howard Taft 1904-1908 Theodore Roosevelt

Luke Edward Wright[?] 1908-1909 Theodore Roosevelt

Jacob M. Dickinson[?] 1909-1911 William Howard Taft

Henry L. Stimson 1911-1913 Taft

Lindley M. Garrison[?] 1913-1916 Woodrow Wilson

Newton D. Baker[?] 1916-1921 Wilson

John W. Weeks[?] 1921-1925 Warren G. Harding,
Calvin Coolidge

Dwight F. Davis[?] 1925-1929 Coolidge

James W. Good[?] 1929 Herbert Hoover

Patrick J. Hurley[?] 1929-1933 Hoover

George H. Dern[?] 1933-1936 Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Harry H. Woodring[?] 1936-1940 FDR

Henry L. Stimson 1940-1945 FDR, Harry S. Truman

Robert P. Patterson[?] 1945-1947 Truman

Kenneth C. Royall[?] 1947 Truman

Name	Year appointed	President(s) served under
Henry Knox	1789	George Washington
Timothy Pickering[?]	1795	Washington
James McHenry[?]	1796	Washington, John Adams
Samuel Dexter	1800	John Adams
Henry Dearborn	1801-1809	Thomas Jefferson
William Eustis[?]	1809-1813	James Madison
John Armstrong, Jr.[?]	1813-1814	Madison
James Monroe	1814-1815	Madison
William Harris Crawford[?]	1815-1816	Madison
John C. Calhoun	1817-1825	James Monroe
James Barbour[?]	1825-1828	John Quincy Adams
Peter Buell Porter[?]	1828-1829	John Quincy Adams
John Henry Eaton[?]	1829-1831	Andrew Jackson
Lewis Cass	1831-1836	Jackson
Joel Roberts Poinsett[?]	1837-1841	Martin Van Buren
John Bell[?]	1841	William Henry Harrison, John Tyler
John C. Spencer[?]	1841-1843	Tyler
James Madison Porter[?]	1843-1844	Tyler
William Wilkins[?]	1844-1845	Tyler
William L. Marcy[?]	1845-1849	James Polk
George Walker Crawford[?]	1849-1850	Zachary Taylor
Charles Magill Conrad[?]	1850-1853	Millard Fillmore
Jefferson Davis	1853-1857	Franklin Pierce
John Buchanan Floyd[?]	1857-1860	James Buchanan
Joseph Holt[?]	1861	Buchanan
Simon Cameron[?]	1861-1862	Abraham Lincoln
Edwin M. Stanton[?]	1862-1868	Lincoln, Andrew Johnson
John M. Schofield[?]	1868-1869	Johnson
John Aaron Rawlins[?]	1869	Ulysses Simpson Grant
William Tecumseh Sherman	1869	Grant
William W. Belknap[?]	1869-1876	Grant
Alphonso Taft[?]	1876	Grant
J. Donald Cameron[?]	1876-1877	Grant
George Washington McCrary[?]	1877-1879	Rutherford B. Hayes
Alexander Ramsey	1879-1881	Hayes
Robert Todd Lincoln[?]	1881-1885	Chester Alan Arthur
William C. Endicott[?]	1885-1889	Grover Cleveland
Redfield Proctor[?]	1889-1891	Benjamin Harrison
Stephen B. Elkins[?]	1891-1893	Harrison
Daniel Scott Lamont[?]	1893-1897	Cleveland (2nd term)
Russell A. Alger[?]	1897-1899	William McKinley
Elihu Root[?]	1899-1904	McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt
William Howard Taft	1904-1908	Theodore Roosevelt
Luke Edward Wright[?]	1908-1909	Theodore Roosevelt
Jacob M. Dickinson[?]	1909-1911	William Howard Taft
Henry L. Stimson	1911-1913	Taft
Lindley M. Garrison[?]	1913-1916	Woodrow Wilson
Newton D. Baker[?]	1916-1921	Wilson
John W. Weeks[?]	1921-1925	Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge
Dwight F. Davis[?]	1925-1929	Coolidge
James W. Good[?]	1929	Herbert Hoover
Patrick J. Hurley[?]	1929-1933	Hoover
George H. Dern[?]	1933-1936	Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Harry H. Woodring[?]	1936-1940	FDR
Henry L. Stimson	1940-1945	FDR, Harry S. Truman
Robert P. Patterson[?]	1945-1947	Truman
Kenneth C. Royall[?]	1947	Truman

External link

Secretaries of War and Secretaries of the Army: Portraits and Biographical Sketches (http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/Sw-SA/SWSA-Fm.htm)