United States Secretary of the Navy 

Seal of the United States Department of the Navy

The United States Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is the civilian head of the Department of the Navy. The position was a member of the President's Cabinet until 1947, when the Navy, Army, and newly created Air Force were placed in the Department of Defense and the Secretary of the Navy was placed under the Secretary of Defense.1

Contents

Responsibilities

Flag of the United States Secretary of the Navy.

The Secretary of the Navy is responsible for, and has the authority under Title 10 of the United States Code, to conduct all the affairs of the Department of the Navy, including: recruiting, organizing, supplying, equipping, training, mobilizing, and demobilizing. The Secretary also oversees the construction, outfitting, and repair of naval ships, equipment and facilities. SECNAV is responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies and programs that are consistent with the national security policies and objectives established by the President and the Secretary of Defense.23

The Department of the Navy consists of two Uniformed Services: the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps.4 Whenever the Coast Guard operates as a service in the Navy, the Secretary of the Navy has the same powers and duties with respect to the Coast Guard as the Secretary of Homeland Security when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Navy.5

The Navy Secretariat

The Office of the Secretary of the Navy and its subordinate officials are known collectively as the Navy Secretariat. Other members of the Secretariat include the Undersecretary of the Navy, the Assistant Secretaries of the Navy (ASN), the General Counsel of the Department of the Navy, the Judge Advocate General of the Navy, the Naval Inspector General, the Chief of Legislative Affairs, and the Chief of Naval Research. The Office of the Secretary of the Navy has sole responsibility within the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, and the Headquarters of the Marine Corps for acquisition, auditing, financial and information management, legislative affairs, public affairs, research, and development.6

Secretaries of the Navy7

Continental Congress

Picture Name Term of Office
Joseph Hewes 1776 - 1778

Cabinet

No. Picture Name State Term of Office Served under
1 Benjamin Stoddert Maryland June 18, 1798 - March 31, 1801 John Adams
2 Robert Smith Maryland July 27, 1801 - March 4, 1809 Thomas Jefferson
3 Paul Hamilton South Carolina May 15, 1809 - December 31, 1812 James Madison
4 William Jones Pennsylvania January 19, 1813 - December 1, 1814 James Madison
5 Benjamin Williams Crowninshield Massachusetts January 16, 1815 - September 30, 1818 James Madison, James Monroe
6 Smith Thompson New York January 1, 1819 - August 31, 1823 James Monroe
7 Samuel Lewis Southard New Jersey September 16, 1823 - March 4, 1829 James Monroe, John Quincy Adams
8 John Branch North Carolina March 9, 1829 - May 12, 1831 Andrew Jackson
9 Levi Woodbury New Hampshire May 23, 1831 - June 30, 1834 Andrew Jackson
10 Mahlon Dickerson New Jersey July 1, 1834 - June 30, 1838 Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren
11 James Kirke Paulding New York July 1, 1838 - March 4, 1841 Martin Van Buren
12 George Edmund Badger North Carolina March 6, 1841 - September 11, 1841 William Henry Harrison, John Tyler
13 Abel Parker Upshur Virginia October 11, 1841 - July 23, 1843 John Tyler
14 David Henshaw Massachusetts July 24, 1843 - February 18, 1844 John Tyler
15 Thomas Walker Gilmer Virginia February 19, 1844 - February 28, 1844 John Tyler
16 John Young Mason Virginia March 26, 1844 - March 4, 1845 John Tyler
17 George Bancroft Massachusetts March 11, 1845 - September 9, 1846 James Knox Polk
18 John Young Mason Virginia September 10, 1846 - March 4, 1849 James Knox Polk
19 William Ballard Preston Virginia March 8, 1849 - July 22, 1850 Zachary Taylor
20 William Alexander Graham North Carolina August 2, 1850 - July 25, 1852 Millard Fillmore
21 John Pendleton Kennedy Maryland July 26, 1852 - March 4, 1853 Millard Fillmore
22 James Cochran Dobbin North Carolina March 8, 1853 - March 4, 1857 Franklin Pierce
23 Isaac Toucey Connecticut March 7, 1857 - March 4, 1861 James Buchanan
24 Gideon Welles Connecticut March 7, 1861 - March 4, 1869 Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson
25 Adolph Edward Borie Pennsylvania March 9, 1869 - June 25, 1869 Ulysses S. Grant
26 George Maxwell Robeson New Jersey June 26, 1869 - March 4, 1877 Ulysses S. Grant
27 Richard Wigginton Thompson Indiana March 13, 1877 - December 20, 1880 Rutherford B. Hayes
28 Nathan Goff, Jr. West Virginia January 7, 1881 - March 4, 1881 Rutherford B. Hayes
29 William Henry Hunt Louisiana March 7, 1881 - April 16, 1882 James Garfield, Chester A. Arthur
30 William Eaton Chandler New Hampshire April 16, 1882 - March 4, 1885 Chester A. Arthur
31 William Collins Whitney New York March 7, 1885 - March 4, 1889 Grover Cleveland
32 Benjamin Franklin Tracy New York March 6, 1889 - March 4, 1893 Benjamin Harrison
33 Hilary Abner Herbert Alabama March 7, 1893 - March 4, 1897 Grover Cleveland
34 John Davis Long Massachusetts March 6, 1897 - April 30, 1902 William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt
35 William Henry Moody Massachusetts May 1, 1902 - June 30, 1904 Theodore Roosevelt
36 Paul Morton July 1, 1904 - June 30, 1905 Theodore Roosevelt
37 Charles Joseph Bonaparte Maryland July 1, 1905 - December 16, 1906 Theodore Roosevelt
38 Victor Howard Metcalf California December 17, 1906 - November 30, 1908 Theodore Roosevelt
39 Truman Handy Newberry Michigan December 1, 1908 - March 4, 1909 Theodore Roosevelt
40 George von Lengerke Meyer Massachusetts March 6, 1909 - March 4, 1913 William Howard Taft
41 Josephus Daniels North Carolina March 5, 1913 - March 4, 1921 Woodrow Wilson
42 Edwin Denby Michigan March 6, 1921 - March 10, 1924 Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge
43 Curtis Dwight Wilbur California March 19, 1924 - March 4, 1929 Calvin Coolidge
44 Charles Francis Adams III Massachusetts March 5, 1929 - March 4, 1933 Herbert Hoover
45 Claude Augustus Swanson Virginia March 4, 1933 - July 7, 1939 Franklin D. Roosevelt
46 Charles Edison New Jersey January 2, 1940 - June 24, 1940 Franklin D. Roosevelt
47 William Franklin Knox Illinois July 11, 1940 - April 28, 1944 Franklin D. Roosevelt
48 James Vincent Forrestal New York May 19, 1944 - September 17, 1947 Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S Truman

Secretaries of the Navy (Department of Defense)

No. Picture Name Term of Office Served under
1 John L. Sullivan September 18, 1947 - May 24, 1949 Harry S. Truman
2 Francis P. Matthews May 25, 1949 - July 31, 1951 Harry S. Truman
3 Dan A. Kimball July 31, 1951 - January 20, 1953 Harry S. Truman
4 Robert B. Anderson February 4, 1953 - March 3, 1954 Dwight D. Eisenhower
5 Charles S. Thomas May 3, 1954 - April 1, 1957 Dwight D. Eisenhower
6 Thomas S. Gates April 1, 1957 - June 8, 1959 Dwight D. Eisenhower
7 William B. Franke June 8, 1959 - January 19, 1961 Dwight D. Eisenhower
8 John B. Connally, Jr January 25, 1961 - December 20, 1961 John F. Kennedy
9 Fred Korth January 4, 1962 - November 1, 1963 John F. Kennedy
Paul B. Fay (acting) November 2, 1963 - November 28, 1963 John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson
10 Paul H. Nitze November 29, 1963 - June 30, 1967 Lyndon B. Johnson
Charles F. Baird (acting) July 1, 1967 - August 31, 1967 Lyndon B. Johnson
11 Paul R. Ignatius September 1, 1967 - January 24, 1969 Lyndon B. Johnson
12 John H. Chafee January 31, 1969 - May 4, 1972 Richard M. Nixon
13 John W. Warner May 4, 1972 - April 8, 1974 Richard M. Nixon
14 J. William Middendorf, II April 8, 1974 - January 20, 1977 Richard M. Nixon, Gerald Ford
15 W. Graham Claytor, Jr. February 14, 1977 - August 24, 1979 Jimmy Carter
16 Edward Hidalgo October 24, 1979 - January 20, 1981 Jimmy Carter
17 John Lehman February 5, 1981 - April 10, 1987 Ronald Reagan
18 Jim Webb May 1, 1987 - February 23, 1988 Ronald Reagan
19 William L. Ball March 28, 1988 - May 15, 1989 Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush
20 Henry L. Garrett III May 15, 1989 - June 26, 1992 George H.W. Bush
Daniel Howard (acting) June 26, 1992 - July 7, 1992 George H.W. Bush
21 Sean O'Keefe October 2, 1992 - January 20, 1993 George H.W. Bush
Admiral Frank B. Kelso II (acting) January 2, 1993 - July 21, 1993 Bill Clinton
22 John H. Dalton July 22, 1993 - November 16, 1998 Bill Clinton
23 Richard Danzig November 16, 1998 - January 20, 2001 Bill Clinton
Robert B. Pirie, Jr. January 20, 2001 - May 24, 2001 George W. Bush
24 Gordon R. England May 24, 2001 - January 30, 2003 George W. Bush
Susan Livingstone (acting) January 30, 2003 - February 7, 2003 George W. Bush
Hansford T. Johnson (acting) February 7, 2003 - September 30, 2003 George W. Bush
25 Gordon R. England October 1, 2003 - January 3, 2006 George W. Bush
26 Donald C. Winter January 3, 2006 - Present George W. Bush

References

  1. ^ ""Guide to Federal Records - General Records of the Department of the Navy, 1798-1947"". Retrieved on September 23, 2007.
  2. ^ ""US CODE: Title 10,5013. Secretary of the Navy"". Retrieved on September 23, 2007.
  3. ^ ""U.S. Navy Biographies - THE HONORABLE DONALD C. WINTER"". Retrieved on September 23, 2007.
  4. ^ ""The US Navy"". Retrieved on September 23, 2007.
  5. ^ ""US CODE: Title 10,5013a. Secretary of the Navy: powers with respect to Coast Guard"". Retrieved on September 23, 2007.
  6. ^ ""US CODE: Title 10,5014. Office of the Secretary of the Navy"". Retrieved on September 23, 2007.
  7. ^ ""Department of the Navy, Office of the General Counsel (DON-OGC) - OGC History"". Retrieved on September 23, 2007.
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United States Secretaries of the Navy
Cabinet Level
Stoddert • Smith • Hamilton • Jones • Crowninshield • S Thompson • Southard • Branch • Woodbury • Dickerson • Paulding • Badger • Upshur • Henshaw • Gilmer • Mason • Bancroft • Mason • Preston • Graham • Kennedy • Dobbin • Toucey • Welles • Borie • Robeson • R Thompson • Goff • Hunt • Chandler • Whitney • Tracy • Herbert • Long • Moody • Morton • Bonaparte • Metcalf • Newberry • Meyer • Daniels • Denby • Wilbur • Adams • Swanson • Knox • Forrestal
Flag of the Secretary of the Navy
Dept. of Defense
Sullivan • Matthews • Kimball • Anderson • Thomas • Gates • Franke • Connally • Korth • Nitze • Ignatius • Chafee • Warner • Middendorf • Claytor • Hidalgo • Lehman • Webb • Ball • Garrett • O'Keefe • Dalton • Danzig • England • Winter
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Agencies under the United States Department of Defense
Headquarters: The Pentagon
Secretary of Defense
Deputy Secretary of Defense United States Department of Defense Seal
Under Secretary of Defense
for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)
Under Secretary of Defense
for Personnel and Readiness
Under Secretary of Defense
for Intelligence
Service Departments
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Leaders of the United States federal executive departments
v • d • e
Portal:Military of the United States
Leadership
Organization
Department of Defense: Army (Secretary) • Navy (Secretary) • Air Force (Secretary)
Department of Homeland Security: Coast Guard (Secretary)
Branches
Reserves: (A · MC · N · AF · CG) • National Guard: (A · AF)
Structure
The Pentagon • Bases • Budget • Units: (A · MC · N · AF · CG) • Logistics • Media
Operations & History
Personnel
Training
(A · MC · N · AF · CG) • Awards & Decorations • Badges
Enlisted: (A · MC · N · AF · CG) • Warrant Officers • Officer: (A · MC · N · AF · CG · PHS · NOAA)
other
Equipment
Land
Sea
All watercraft • Ships: (A · N (active) · AF · CG · MSC) • Weapons: (N · CG) • Aircraft: (N · CG) • Reactors
Air
Other
Legend: A=Army MC=Marine Corps N=Navy AF=Air Force CG=Coast Guard PHS=Public Health Service NOAA=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration MSC=Military Sealift Command
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Portal:United States Navy
Leadership
Organization
Major Commands
Numbered Fleets
Structure
A-B · C · D-F · G-H · I-K · L · M · N-O · P · Q-R · S · T-V · W-Z
Aircraft carriers · Airships · Amphibious warfare ships · Auxiliaries · Battleships · Cruisers