History / Offices

Secretary of the Interior

40 people have held this office since Mar 8, 1849. Now: Doug Burgum R.

Holders
40
23 R · 11 D · 3 W · 1 LRP · 1 PP · 1 U
Longest tenure
13 years
Harold L. Ickes
Current
20 months
Doug Burgum, since Jan 31, 2025
history/office/secretary-of-the-interiorEvery holder, newest first
+40
186018801900192019401960198020002020Thomas Ewing · 1849-03-08 – 1850-07-22 · WhigAlexander Hugh Holmes Stuart · 1850-09-14 – 1853-03-07 · WhigRobert McClelland · 1853-03-08 – 1857-03-09 · DemocratJohn Palmer Usher · 1863-01-01 – 1865-05-15 · RepublicanJames Harlan · 1865-05-16 – 1866-08-31 · WhigJacob Dolson Cox · 1869-03-05 – 1870-10-31 · RepublicanColumbus Delano · 1870-11-01 – 1875-09-30 · RepublicanCarl Schurz · 1877-03-12 – 1881-03-07 · Liberal Republican PartySamuel J. Kirkwood · 1881-03-08 – 1882-04-17 · RepublicanLucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar · 1885-03-06 – 1888-01-10 · DemocratWilliam Freeman Vilas · 1888-01-16 – 1889-03-06 · DemocratJohn Willock Noble · 1889-03-07 – 1893-03-06 · RepublicanEthan A. Hitchcock · 1899-02-20 – 1907-03-04 · RepublicanJames Rudolph Garfield · 1907-03-05 – 1909-03-05 · RepublicanRichard A. Ballinger · 1909-03-06 – 1911-03-12 · RepublicanWalter L. Fisher · 1911-03-13 – 1913-03-05 · RepublicanFranklin Knight Lane · 1913-03-06 – 1920-03-01 · DemocratJohn Barton Payne · 1920-03-15 – 1921-03-04 · DemocratAlbert B. Fall · 1921-03-05 – 1923-03-04 · RepublicanHubert Work · 1923-03-04 – 1928-07-24 · RepublicanRay Lyman Wilbur · 1929-03-05 – 1933-03-04 · RepublicanHarold L. Ickes · 1933-03-04 – 1946-02-15 · Progressive PartyFred A. Seaton · 1956-06-08 – 1961-01-20 · RepublicanStewart L. Udall · 1961-01-21 – 1969-01-20 · DemocratWally Hickel · 1969-01-24 – 1970-11-25 · RepublicanCecil D. Andrus · 1977-01-23 – 1981-01-20 · DemocratJames G. Watt · 1981-01-23 – 1983-11-08 · RepublicanDonald P. Hodel · 1985-02-08 – 1989-01-20 · RepublicanManuel Lujan · 1989-02-03 – 1993-01-20 · RepublicanBruce Babbitt · 1993-01-22 – 2001-01-02 · DemocratGale Norton · 2001-01-31 – 2006-03-31 · RepublicanDirk Kempthorne · 2006-06-07 – 2009-01-20 · RepublicanKen Salazar · 2009-01-20 – 2013-04-12 · DemocratSally Jewell · 2013-04-12 – 2017-01-20 · DemocratKevin Haugrud · 2017-01-20 – 2017-03-01Ryan Zinke · 2017-03-01 – 2019-01-02 · RepublicanDavid L. Bernhardt · 2019-01-02 – 2021-01-20 · RepublicanDeb Haaland · 2021-03-16 – 2025-01-20 · DemocratDoug Burgum · 2025-01-31 – present · RepublicanHerbert Alton Meyer · 1915-01-01 – 1917-01-01 · Republican
Doug Burgum R
Jan 31, 2025 – present · 20 months · appointed by Donald Trump
Deb Haaland D
Mar 16, 2021 – Jan 20, 2025 · 3.8 years · appointed by Joe Biden
David L. Bernhardt R (acting)
Jan 2, 2019 – Jan 20, 2021 · 2.1 years
Ryan Zinke R
Mar 1, 2017 – Jan 2, 2019 · 22 months · appointed by Donald Trump
Kevin Haugrud
Jan 20, 2017 – Mar 1, 2017 · 40 days · appointed by Donald Trump
Sally Jewell D
Apr 12, 2013 – Jan 20, 2017 · 3.8 years · appointed by Barack Obama
Ken Salazar D
Jan 20, 2009 – Apr 12, 2013 · 4.2 years · appointed by Barack Obama
Dirk Kempthorne R
Jun 7, 2006 – Jan 20, 2009 · 2.6 years · appointed by George W. Bush
Gale Norton R
Jan 31, 2001 – Mar 31, 2006 · 5.2 years · appointed by George W. Bush
Bruce Babbitt D
Jan 22, 1993 – Jan 2, 2001 · 7.9 years · appointed by Bill Clinton
Manuel Lujan R
Feb 3, 1989 – Jan 20, 1993 · 4 years · appointed by George H. W. Bush
Donald P. Hodel R
Feb 8, 1985 – Jan 20, 1989 · 3.9 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan
James G. Watt R
Jan 23, 1981 – Nov 8, 1983 · 2.8 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan
Cecil D. Andrus D
Jan 23, 1977 – Jan 20, 1981 · 4 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter
Wally Hickel R
Jan 24, 1969 – Nov 25, 1970 · 22 months · appointed by Richard Nixon
Stewart L. Udall D
Jan 21, 1961 – Jan 20, 1969 · 8 years · appointed by John F. Kennedy
Fred A. Seaton R
Jun 8, 1956 – Jan 20, 1961 · 4.6 years · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower
Harold L. Ickes PP
Mar 4, 1933 – Feb 15, 1946 · 13 years · appointed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Ray Lyman Wilbur R
Mar 5, 1929 – Mar 4, 1933 · 4 years · appointed by Herbert Hoover
Hubert Work R
Mar 4, 1923 – Jul 24, 1928 · 5.4 years · appointed by Warren G. Harding
Albert B. Fall R
Mar 5, 1921 – Mar 4, 1923 · 2 years · appointed by Warren G. Harding
John Barton Payne D
Mar 15, 1920 – Mar 4, 1921 · 12 months · appointed by Woodrow Wilson
Herbert Alton Meyer R
Jan 1, 1915 – Jan 1, 1917 · 2 years · appointed by Woodrow Wilson
Franklin Knight Lane D
Mar 6, 1913 – Mar 1, 1920 · 7 years · appointed by Woodrow Wilson
Walter L. Fisher R
Mar 13, 1911 – Mar 5, 1913 · 2 years · appointed by William Howard Taft
Richard A. Ballinger R
Mar 6, 1909 – Mar 12, 1911 · 2 years · appointed by William Howard Taft
James Rudolph Garfield R
Mar 5, 1907 – Mar 5, 1909 · 2 years · appointed by Theodore Roosevelt
Ethan A. Hitchcock R
Feb 20, 1899 – Mar 4, 1907 · 8 years · appointed by William McKinley
John Willock Noble R
Mar 7, 1889 – Mar 6, 1893 · 4 years · appointed by Benjamin Harrison
William Freeman Vilas D
Jan 16, 1888 – Mar 6, 1889 · 14 months · appointed by Grover Cleveland
Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar D
Mar 6, 1885 – Jan 10, 1888 · 2.8 years · appointed by Grover Cleveland
Samuel J. Kirkwood R
Mar 8, 1881 – Apr 17, 1882 · 13 months · appointed by James A. Garfield
Carl Schurz LRP
Mar 12, 1877 – Mar 7, 1881 · 4 years · appointed by Rutherford B. Hayes
Columbus Delano R
Nov 1, 1870 – Sep 30, 1875 · 4.9 years · appointed by Ulysses S. Grant
Jacob Dolson Cox R
Mar 5, 1869 – Oct 31, 1870 · 20 months · appointed by Ulysses S. Grant
James Harlan W
May 16, 1865 – Aug 31, 1866 · 16 months · appointed by Andrew Johnson
John Palmer Usher R
Jan 1, 1863 – May 15, 1865 · 2.4 years · appointed by Abraham Lincoln
Robert McClelland D
Mar 8, 1853 – Mar 9, 1857 · 4 years · appointed by Franklin Pierce
Alexander Hugh Holmes Stuart W
Sep 14, 1850 – Mar 7, 1853 · 2.5 years · appointed by Millard Fillmore
Thomas Ewing W
Mar 8, 1849 – Jul 22, 1850 · 16 months · appointed by Zachary Taylor

Dates are from Wikidata, which has gaps for some historical offices. Consecutive terms of one person are merged.