History / Offices

Secretary of War

45 people have held this office since Jan 1, 1781. Vacant or no longer exists.

Holders
45
16 R · 10 D · 9 DR · 5 W · 4 F · 1 U
Longest tenure
9.8 years
Henry Knox
Current
—
nobody
history/office/secretary-of-warEvery holder, newest first
+45
1800182518501875190019251950197520002025Benjamin Lincoln · 1781-01-01 – 1783-01-01 · FederalistHenry Knox · 1785-03-08 – 1794-12-31Timothy Pickering · 1795-01-02 – 1796-01-27 · FederalistJames McHenry · 1796-01-27 – 1800-05-13 · FederalistSamuel Dexter · 1800-06-01 – 1801-01-31 · FederalistHenry Dearborn · 1801-03-05 – 1809-03-04 · Democratic-RepublicanWilliam Eustis · 1809-03-07 – 1813-01-13 · Democratic-RepublicanJohn Armstrong Jr. · 1813-01-13 – 1814-09-27 · Democratic-RepublicanJames Monroe · 1814-09-27 – 1815-03-02 · Democratic-RepublicanWilliam H. Crawford · 1815-08-01 – 1816-10-22 · Democratic-RepublicanJohn C. Calhoun · 1817-12-08 – 1825-03-04 · Democratic-RepublicanPeter Buell Porter · 1828-05-23 – 1829-03-09 · Democratic-RepublicanJohn Eaton · 1829-03-09 – 1831-06-18 · DemocratLewis Cass · 1831-08-01 – 1836-10-04 · DemocratJoel Roberts Poinsett · 1837-03-07 – 1841-03-05 · Democratic-RepublicanJohn Bell · 1841-03-05 – 1841-09-11 · Democratic-RepublicanJohn C. Spencer · 1841-10-12 – 1843-03-04 · WhigJames Madison Porter · 1843-03-08 – 1844-01-30 · WhigWilliam L. Marcy · 1845-03-06 – 1849-03-04 · DemocratGeorge W. Crawford · 1849-03-08 – 1850-07-23 · WhigCharles Magill Conrad · 1850-08-15 – 1853-03-07 · WhigJefferson Davis · 1853-03-07 – 1857-03-04 · DemocratSimon Cameron · 1861-03-05 – 1862-01-14 · RepublicanEdwin M. Stanton · 1862-01-20 – 1868-05-28 · DemocratJohn Schofield · 1868-06-01 – 1869-03-13 · RepublicanWilliam W. Belknap · 1869-10-25 – 1876-03-02 · RepublicanAlphonso Taft · 1876-03-08 – 1876-05-22 · RepublicanGeorge W. McCrary · 1877-03-12 – 1879-12-09 · RepublicanAlexander Ramsey · 1879-12-10 – 1881-03-05 · WhigRobert Todd Lincoln · 1881-03-05 – 1885-03-05 · RepublicanRedfield Proctor · 1889-03-05 – 1891-11-05 · RepublicanRussell Alexander Alger · 1897-03-04 – 1899-07-19 · RepublicanElihu Root · 1899-08-01 – 1904-01-31 · RepublicanWilliam Howard Taft · 1904-02-01 – 1908-06-30 · RepublicanLuke Edward Wright · 1908-07-01 – 1909-03-11 · DemocratHenry L. Stimson · 1911-05-22 – 1913-03-04 · RepublicanNewton Diehl Baker Jr. · 1916-01-01 – 1921-01-01 · DemocratJohn W. Weeks · 1921-03-05 – 1925-10-13 · RepublicanDwight Filley Davis Sr. · 1925-10-14 – 1929-03-04 · RepublicanPatrick J. Hurley · 1929-12-09 – 1933-03-04 · RepublicanHarry Hines Woodring · 1936-09-25 – 1940-06-20 · DemocratHenry L. Stimson · 1940-07-10 – 1945-09-21 · RepublicanRobert P. Patterson · 1945-09-27 – 1947-07-18 · DemocratKenneth Claiborne Royall · 1947-07-19 – 1947-09-18 · DemocratUlysses S. Grant · 1867-08-12 – 1868-01-13 · Republican
Kenneth Claiborne Royall D
Jul 19, 1947 – Sep 18, 1947 · 2 months · appointed by Harry S. Truman
Robert P. Patterson D
Sep 27, 1945 – Jul 18, 1947 · 22 months · appointed by Harry S. Truman
Henry L. Stimson R
Jul 10, 1940 – Sep 21, 1945 · 5.2 years · appointed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Harry Hines Woodring D
Sep 25, 1936 – Jun 20, 1940 · 3.7 years · appointed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Patrick J. Hurley R
Dec 9, 1929 – Mar 4, 1933 · 3.2 years · appointed by Herbert Hoover
Dwight Filley Davis Sr. R
Oct 14, 1925 – Mar 4, 1929 · 3.4 years · appointed by Calvin Coolidge
John W. Weeks R
Mar 5, 1921 – Oct 13, 1925 · 4.6 years · appointed by Warren G. Harding
Newton Diehl Baker Jr. D
Jan 1, 1916 – Jan 1, 1921 · 5 years · appointed by Woodrow Wilson
Henry L. Stimson R
May 22, 1911 – Mar 4, 1913 · 21 months · appointed by William Howard Taft
Luke Edward Wright D
Jul 1, 1908 – Mar 11, 1909 · 8 months · appointed by Theodore Roosevelt
William Howard Taft R
Feb 1, 1904 – Jun 30, 1908 · 4.4 years · appointed by Theodore Roosevelt
Elihu Root R
Aug 1, 1899 – Jan 31, 1904 · 4.5 years · appointed by William McKinley
Russell Alexander Alger R
Mar 4, 1897 – Jul 19, 1899 · 2.4 years · appointed by William McKinley
Redfield Proctor R
Mar 5, 1889 – Nov 5, 1891 · 2.7 years · appointed by Benjamin Harrison
Robert Todd Lincoln R
Mar 5, 1881 – Mar 5, 1885 · 4 years · appointed by James A. Garfield
Alexander Ramsey W
Dec 10, 1879 – Mar 5, 1881 · 15 months · appointed by Rutherford B. Hayes
George W. McCrary R
Mar 12, 1877 – Dec 9, 1879 · 2.7 years · appointed by Rutherford B. Hayes
Alphonso Taft R
Mar 8, 1876 – May 22, 1876 · 2 months · appointed by Ulysses S. Grant
William W. Belknap R
Oct 25, 1869 – Mar 2, 1876 · 6.4 years · appointed by Ulysses S. Grant
John Schofield R
Jun 1, 1868 – Mar 13, 1869 · 9 months · appointed by Andrew Johnson
Ulysses S. Grant R (acting)
Aug 12, 1867 – Jan 13, 1868 · 5 months
Edwin M. Stanton D
Jan 20, 1862 – May 28, 1868 · 6.4 years · appointed by Abraham Lincoln
Simon Cameron R
Mar 5, 1861 – Jan 14, 1862 · 10 months · appointed by Abraham Lincoln
Jefferson Davis D
Mar 7, 1853 – Mar 4, 1857 · 4 years · appointed by Franklin Pierce
Charles Magill Conrad W
Aug 15, 1850 – Mar 7, 1853 · 2.6 years · appointed by Millard Fillmore
George W. Crawford W
Mar 8, 1849 – Jul 23, 1850 · 16 months · appointed by Zachary Taylor
William L. Marcy D
Mar 6, 1845 – Mar 4, 1849 · 4 years · appointed by James K. Polk
James Madison Porter W
Mar 8, 1843 – Jan 30, 1844 · 11 months · appointed by John Tyler
John C. Spencer W
Oct 12, 1841 – Mar 4, 1843 · 17 months · appointed by John Tyler
John Bell DR
Mar 5, 1841 – Sep 11, 1841 · 6 months · appointed by William Henry Harrison
Joel Roberts Poinsett DR
Mar 7, 1837 – Mar 5, 1841 · 4 years · appointed by Martin Van Buren
Lewis Cass D
Aug 1, 1831 – Oct 4, 1836 · 5.2 years · appointed by Andrew Jackson
John Eaton D
Mar 9, 1829 – Jun 18, 1831 · 2.3 years · appointed by Andrew Jackson
Peter Buell Porter DR
May 23, 1828 – Mar 9, 1829 · 10 months · appointed by John Quincy Adams
John C. Calhoun DR
Dec 8, 1817 – Mar 4, 1825 · 7.2 years · appointed by James Monroe
William H. Crawford DR
Aug 1, 1815 – Oct 22, 1816 · 15 months · appointed by James Madison
James Monroe DR
Sep 27, 1814 – Mar 2, 1815 · 5 months · appointed by James Madison
John Armstrong Jr. DR
Jan 13, 1813 – Sep 27, 1814 · 20 months · appointed by James Madison
William Eustis DR
Mar 7, 1809 – Jan 13, 1813 · 3.9 years · appointed by James Madison
Henry Dearborn DR
Mar 5, 1801 – Mar 4, 1809 · 8 years · appointed by Thomas Jefferson
Samuel Dexter F
Jun 1, 1800 – Jan 31, 1801 · 8 months · appointed by John Adams
James McHenry F
Jan 27, 1796 – May 13, 1800 · 4.3 years · appointed by George Washington
Timothy Pickering F
Jan 2, 1795 – Jan 27, 1796 · 13 months · appointed by George Washington
Henry Knox
Mar 8, 1785 – Dec 31, 1794 · 9.8 years
Benjamin Lincoln F
Jan 1, 1781 – Jan 1, 1783 · 2 years

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