List of people who have held multiple United States Cabinet-level positions
The Cabinet of the United States , which is the principal advisory body to the President of the United States , has had numerous permanent members serve as heads of multiple different federal executive departments , along with the Vice President or other cabinet-level positions, which can differ under each president. As the years progressed, some departments lost their original status in the president's cabinet, while other offices were established or reorganized as such. Unlike in many parliamentary cabinets , it is generally less common in the United States for officeholders to obtain multiple positions over the years.
Edmund Randolph became the first person to have served in two different presidential cabinet posts when he was appointed Secretary of State by President George Washington in 1794 after previously serving as Attorney General during Washington's first term in office. Patricia Roberts Harris was the first woman and the first person of color to serve multiple posts in a president's cabinet when President Jimmy Carter appointed her Secretary of Health and Human Services [ a] in 1979, having earlier served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development through the first half of Carter's administration.
Elliot Richardson held the most different positions within the presidential cabinet with four, having served as Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare;[ a] Secretary of Defense ; and Attorney General, all three under President Richard Nixon , as well as Secretary of Commerce for Nixon's successor, Gerald Ford .[ 1] That record was equaled by George Shultz , who served successively within the Nixon administration—first as Secretary of Labor , then in a cabinet-rank position as Director of the Office of Management and Budget , and finally as Secretary of the Treasury —before being appointed Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan .[ 2]
List of multiple cabinet-level officeholders
The following list includes people who have led two or more different executive departments or other cabinet-level offices, which can vary under each president. The table below is organized by date of second appointment or election to such a position. Officeholders whose terms begin the same day are ranked alphabetically by last name.
No.
Image
Name
Office
Took office
Left office
1
Edmund Randolph
Attorney General
September 26, 1789
January 26, 1794
Secretary of State
January 2, 1794
August 20, 1795
2
Timothy Pickering
Secretary of War
January 2, 1795
December 10, 1795
Secretary of State
December 10, 1795
May 12, 1800
3
Samuel Dexter
Secretary of War
June 1, 1800
January 31, 1801
Secretary of the Treasury
January 1, 1801
May 13, 1801
4
Robert Smith
Secretary of the Navy
July 27, 1801
March 4, 1809
Secretary of State
March 6, 1809
April 1, 1811
5
James Monroe
Secretary of State
April 6, 1811
March 4, 1817
Secretary of War
September 27, 1814
March 2, 1815
6
William H. Crawford
Secretary of War
August 1, 1815
October 22, 1816
Secretary of the Treasury
October 22, 1816
March 6, 1825
7
Richard Rush
Attorney General
February 10, 1814
November 12, 1817
Secretary of the Treasury
March 7, 1825
March 5, 1829
8
Louis McLane
Secretary of the Treasury
August 8, 1831
May 29, 1833
Secretary of State
May 29, 1833
June 30, 1834
9
Roger B. Taney
Attorney General
July 20, 1831
November 14, 1833
Secretary of the Treasury
September 23, 1833
June 25, 1834
10
Levi Woodbury
Secretary of the Navy
May 23, 1831
June 30, 1834
Secretary of the Treasury
July 1, 1834
March 4, 1841
11
Abel P. Upshur
Secretary of the Navy
October 11, 1841
July 23, 1843
Secretary of State
July 24, 1843
February 28, 1844
12
John C. Calhoun
Secretary of War
December 8, 1817
March 4, 1825
Secretary of State
April 1, 1844
March 10, 1845
13
John Y. Mason
Secretary of the Navy
March 26, 1844
March 4, 1845
September 10, 1846
March 4, 1849
Attorney General
March 5, 1845
October 16, 1846
14
Thomas Ewing
Secretary of the Treasury
March 4, 1841
September 11, 1841
Secretary of the Interior
March 8, 1849
July 22, 1850
15
William L. Marcy
Secretary of War
March 6, 1845
March 4, 1849
Secretary of State
March 7, 1853
March 6, 1857
16
Lewis Cass
Secretary of War
August 1, 1831
October 4, 1836
Secretary of State
March 6, 1857
December 14, 1860
17
Isaac Toucey
Attorney General
June 21, 1848
March 3, 1849
Secretary of the Navy
March 7, 1857
March 4, 1861
18
Jeremiah S. Black
Attorney General
March 6, 1857
December 16, 1860
Secretary of State
December 17, 1860
March 5, 1861
19
Joseph Holt
Postmaster General
March 9, 1859
December 31, 1860
Secretary of War
January 18, 1861
March 5, 1861
20
Edwin Stanton
Attorney General
December 20, 1860
March 4, 1861
Secretary of War
January 20, 1862
May 28, 1868
21
Alphonso Taft
Secretary of War
March 8, 1876
May 22, 1876
Attorney General
May 22, 1876
March 4, 1877
22
William M. Evarts
Attorney General
July 17, 1868
March 4, 1869
Secretary of State
March 12, 1877
March 7, 1881
23
Walter Q. Gresham
Postmaster General
April 9, 1883
September 4, 1884
Secretary of the Treasury
September 5, 1884
October 28, 1884
Secretary of State
March 7, 1893
May 28, 1895
24
William Freeman Vilas
Postmaster General
March 6, 1885
January 6, 1888
Secretary of the Interior
January 16, 1888
March 6, 1889
25
Richard Olney
Attorney General
March 6, 1893
June 10, 1895
Secretary of State
June 10, 1895
March 5, 1897
26
John Sherman
Secretary of the Treasury
March 10, 1877
March 3, 1881
Secretary of State
March 6, 1897
April 27, 1898
27
William Henry Moody
Secretary of the Navy
May 1, 1902
June 30, 1904
Attorney General
July 1, 1904
December 12, 1906
28
Elihu Root
Secretary of War
August 1, 1899
January 31, 1904
Secretary of State
July 19, 1905
January 27, 1909
29
Charles Joseph Bonaparte
Secretary of the Navy
July 1, 1905
December 16, 1906
Attorney General
December 17, 1906
March 4, 1909
30
Victor H. Metcalf
Secretary of Commerce and Labor [ b]
July 1, 1904
December 16, 1906
Secretary of the Navy
December 17, 1906
November 30, 1908
31
George B. Cortelyou
Secretary of Commerce and Labor[ b]
February 18, 1903
June 30, 1904
Postmaster General
March 6, 1905
January 14, 1907
Secretary of the Treasury
March 4, 1907
March 7, 1909
32
Philander C. Knox
Attorney General
April 5, 1901
June 30, 1904
Secretary of State
March 6, 1909
March 5, 1913
32
George von Lengerke Meyer
Postmaster General
January 15, 1907
March 4, 1909
Secretary of the Navy
March 6, 1909
March 4, 1913
34
David F. Houston
Secretary of Agriculture
March 6, 1913
February 2, 1920
Secretary of the Treasury
February 2, 1920
March 3, 1921
35
Hubert Work
Postmaster General
March 4, 1922
March 4, 1923
Secretary of the Interior
March 4, 1923
July 24, 1928
36
Henry L. Stimson
Secretary of War
May 22, 1911
May 4, 1913
July 10, 1940
September 21, 1945
Secretary of State
March 28, 1929
March 4, 1933
37
Henry A. Wallace
Secretary of Agriculture
March 4, 1933
September 4, 1940
Vice President
January 20, 1941
January 20, 1945
Secretary of Commerce
March 2, 1945
September 20, 1946
38
James Forrestal
Secretary of the Navy
May 19, 1944
September 17, 1947
Secretary of Defense
September 17, 1947
March 28, 1949
39
Kenneth Claiborne Royall
Secretary of War
July 19, 1947
September 18, 1947
Secretary of the Army
September 18, 1947
April 27, 1949
40
George Marshall
Secretary of State
January 21, 1947
January 20, 1949
Secretary of Defense
September 21, 1950
September 12, 1951
41
Arthur Goldberg
Secretary of Labor
January 21, 1961
September 20, 1962
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
July 28, 1965
June 24, 1968
42
Maurice Stans
Director of the Bureau of the Budget [ c]
March 18, 1958
January 21, 1961
Secretary of Commerce
January 21, 1969
February 15, 1972
43
William P. Rogers
Attorney General
October 23, 1957
January 20, 1961
Secretary of State
January 22, 1969
September 3, 1973
44
Robert Finch
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare [ a]
January 21, 1969
June 23, 1970
Counselor to the President
June 23, 1970
December 15, 1972
45
George Shultz
Secretary of Labor
January 22, 1969
July 1, 1970
Director of the Management and Budget [ c]
July 1, 1970
June 11, 1972
Secretary of the Treasury
June 12, 1972
May 8, 1974
Secretary of State
July 16, 1982
January 20, 1989
46
Caspar Weinberger
Director of the Management and Budget
June 12, 1972
February 1, 1973
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare[ a]
February 12, 1973
August 8, 1975
Secretary of Defense
January 21, 1981
November 23, 1987
47
Elliot Richardson
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare[ a]
June 24, 1970
January 29, 1973
Secretary of Defense
January 30, 1973
May 24, 1973
Attorney General
May 25, 1973
October 20, 1973
Secretary of Commerce
February 2, 1976
January 20, 1977
48
Donald Rumsfeld
Counselor to the President
December 11, 1970
October 15, 1971
White House Chief of Staff
September 21, 1974
November 20, 1975
Secretary of Defense
November 20, 1975
January 20, 1977
January 20, 2001
December 18, 2006
49
James Thomas Lynn
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
February 2, 1973
February 5, 1975
Director of the Management and Budget
February 10, 1975
January 20, 1977
50
Frederick B. Dent
Secretary of Commerce
February 2, 1973
March 26, 1975
United States Trade Representative
March 26, 1975
January 20, 1977
51
Rogers Morton
Secretary of the Interior
January 29, 1971
April 30, 1975
Secretary of Commerce
May 1, 1975
February 2, 1976
Counselor to the President
February 2, 1976
April 1, 1976
52
Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Counselor to the President
November 5, 1969
December 31, 1970
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
June 30, 1975
February 2, 1976
53
James R. Schlesinger
Secretary of Defense
July 2, 1973
November 19, 1975
Secretary of Energy
August 9, 1977
August 23, 1979
54
Patricia Roberts Harris
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
January 23, 1977
September 10, 1979
Secretary of Health and Human Services [ a]
August 3, 1979
January 20, 1981
55
George H. W. Bush
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
March 1, 1971
January 18, 1973
Vice President
January 20, 1981
January 20, 1989
56
Donald P. Hodel
Secretary of Energy
November 5, 1982
February 7, 1985
Secretary of the Interior
February 8, 1985
January 20, 1989
57
Edwin Meese
Counselor to the President
January 20, 1981
February 25, 1985
Attorney General
February 25, 1985
August 12, 1988
58
Bill Brock
United States Trade Representative
January 23, 1981
April 29, 1985
Secretary of Labor
April 29, 1985
October 31, 1987
59
James Baker
Secretary of the Treasury
February 4, 1985
August 17, 1988
Secretary of State
January 25, 1989
August 23, 1992
60
Elizabeth Dole
Secretary of Transportation
February 7, 1983
September 30, 1987
Secretary of Labor
January 25, 1989
November 23, 1990
61
Carla Anderson Hills
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
March 10, 1975
January 20, 1977
United States Trade Representative
February 6, 1989
January 20, 1993
62
Clayton Yeutter
United States Trade Representative
July 1, 1985
January 20, 1989
Secretary of Agriculture
February 16, 1989
March 1, 1991
Counselor to the President
February 1, 1992
January 20, 1993
63
Dick Cheney
White House Chief of Staff
November 21, 1975
January 20, 1977
Secretary of Defense
March 21, 1989
January 20, 1993
Vice President
January 20, 2001
January 20, 2009
64
Leon Panetta
Director of the Management and Budget
January 21, 1993
July 17, 1994
White House Chief of Staff
July 17, 1994
January 20, 1997
Secretary of Defense
July 1, 2011
February 26, 2013
65
Mickey Kantor
United States Trade Representative
January 21, 1993
April 12, 1996
Secretary of Commerce
April 12, 1996
January 21, 1997
66
Erskine Bowles
Administrator of the Small Business Administration
May 7, 1993
October 3, 1994
White House Chief of Staff
January 20, 1997
October 20, 1998
67
Madeleine Albright
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
January 27, 1993
January 21, 1997
Secretary of State
January 23, 1997
January 20, 2001
68
Federico Peña
Secretary of Transportation
January 21, 1993
February 14, 1997
Secretary of Energy
March 12, 1997
June 30, 1998
69
Bill Richardson
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
February 18, 1997
August 18, 1998
Secretary of Energy
August 18, 1998
January 20, 2001
70
Andrew Card
Secretary of Transportation
February 24, 1992
January 20, 1993
White House Chief of Staff
January 20, 2001
April 14, 2006
71
Norman Mineta
Secretary of Commerce
July 20, 2000
January 20, 2001
Secretary of Transportation
January 25, 2001
July 7, 2006
72
Mike Leavitt
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
November 6, 2003
January 26, 2005
Secretary of Health and Human Services
January 26, 2005
January 20, 2009
73
Joshua Bolten
Director of the Management and Budget
June 6, 2003
April 14, 2006
White House Chief of Staff
April 14, 2006
January 20, 2009
74
Rob Portman
United States Trade Representative
May 17, 2005
May 29, 2006
Director of the Management and Budget
May 29, 2006
June 19, 2007
75
William M. Daley
Secretary of Commerce
January 30, 1997
July 19, 2000
White House Chief of Staff
January 13, 2011
January 27, 2012
76
Jack Lew
Director of the Management and Budget
May 21, 1998
January 19, 2001
White House Chief of Staff
January 27, 2012
January 20, 2013
Secretary of the Treasury
February 28, 2013
January 20, 2017
77
Sylvia Mathews Burwell
Director of the Management and Budget
April 24, 2013
June 9, 2014
Secretary of Health and Human Services
June 9, 2014
January 20, 2017
78
Shaun Donovan
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
January 26, 2009
July 28, 2014
Director of the Management and Budget
August 5, 2014
January 20, 2017
79
Elaine Chao
Secretary of Labor
January 29, 2001
January 20, 2009
Secretary of Transportation
January 31, 2017
January 11, 2021
80
John F. Kelly
Secretary of Homeland Security
January 20, 2017
July 31, 2017
White House Chief of Staff
July 31, 2017
January 2, 2019
81
Mike Pompeo
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
January 23, 2017
April 26, 2018
Secretary of State
April 26, 2018
January 20, 2021
82
Janet Yellen
Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers
February 18, 1997
August 3, 1999
Secretary of the Treasury
January 26, 2021
Incumbent
83
Denis McDonough
White House Chief of Staff
January 20, 2013
January 20, 2017
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
February 9, 2021
Incumbent
Cabinet-level positions
The following positions have intermittently been raised to cabinet rank:
Vice President (1921–1923, 1929–present)
Ambassador to the United Nations (1953–1989, 1993–2001, 2009–2018, 2021–present)
Director of the Office of Management and Budget (1953–1961, 1969–present)
White House Chief of Staff (1953–1961, 1974–1977, 1993–present)
Counselor to the President (1969–1977, 1981–1985, 1992–1993)
United States Trade Representative (1975–present)
Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers (1977–1981, 1993–2001, 2009–2017, 2021–present)
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (1993–present)
Administrator of the Small Business Administration (1994–2001, 2012–present)
Director of National Intelligence (2017–present)
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2017–2021, 2023–present)
See also
Notes
^ a b c d e f The position was established the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare on April 11, 1953; thereafter became the Secretary of Health and Human Services on May 4, 1980.[ 4]
^ a b The position was established the Secretary of Commerce and Labor on February 18, 1903; thereafter became the Secretary of Commerce on March 5, 1913.[ 3]
^ a b The position was established the Director of the Bureau of the Budget on June 23, 1921; thereafter became the Director of the Management and Budget on July 1, 1970.
References
^ "Richardson Confirmed For 4th Cabinet Post" . The New York Times . December 12, 1975. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2023 .
^ Abramowitz, Michael; Hoffman, David E. (February 7, 2021). "George P. Shultz, counsel and Cabinet member for two Republican presidents, dies at 100" . The Washington Post . Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2021 .
^ "Origins: 1776-1913" . United States Department of Commerce. December 20, 2022. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022 .
^ "HHS Historical Highlights" . United States Department of Health and Human Services. June 19, 2016. Archived from the original on May 22, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2022 .
External links