United States Secretary of State

The United States secretary of state (SecState)^[5] is the head of the United States Department of State. This department deals with foreign affairs. The secretary is a member of the presidential cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in presidential line of succession and order of precedence. The U.S. Senate must agree with and confirm with the choice for the person to become the secretary of state.

United States Secretary of State
Seal of the secretary of state
Flag of the secretary of state
Incumbent Marco Rubio since January 21, 2025
United States Department of State
Style	Mr. Secretary (informal) The Honorable[1] (formal) His Excellency[2] (diplomatic)
Abbreviation	SecState
Member of	Cabinet of the United States United States National Security Council
Reports to	President of the United States
Seat	Harry S Truman Building Washington, D.C.
Appointer	The President with Senate advice and consent
Term length	No fixed term
Constituting instrument	22 U.S.C. § 2651
Precursor	Secretary of Foreign Affairs
Formation	July 27, 1789; 235 years ago (1789-07-27)
First holder	Thomas Jefferson
Succession	Fourth[3]
Deputy	United States Deputy Secretary of State
Salary	Executive Schedule, Level I[4]
Website	state.gov/secretary

The position of secretary of state was created on April 6, 1789. Thomas Jefferson was the first secretary of state. The secretary is also 4th in the presidential line of succession.

Duties

The first duties of the secretary of state included:

• Publication, distribution, and preservation of the laws of the United States
• Managing the commissions of people the President puts into office.
• Custody of the Great Seal of the United States
• Custody of the records of the former Secretary of the Continental Congress, except for those of the Treasury and War Departments

The following are the responsibilities of the Secretary of State. These were added to the duties over time.

• In control of the United States Department of State and the United States Foreign Service.
• Adviser to the President on matters dealing with other countries. This includes choosing diplomats to other nations and dealing with diplomats from other nations.
• Takes part in high-level negotiations with other countries. The Secretary deals with both single nations and international conferences or organizations. This includes the negotiation of international treaties.
• In control of the direction, coordination, and supervision of activities of the U.S. Government in other countries when more than one government department is involved.
• Support U.S. citizens living or traveling in other countries. This includes information, passports, visas and other services.
• Supervises the United States immigration policy in other countries.
• Communicates problems dealing with the United States foreign policy to Congress and to U.S. citizens.

List of Secretaries of State

Denotes an interim secretary of state

N°	Secretary		Party		Vote[a]	Term of office			State	President(s)
	Portrait	Name				Took office	Left office	Term
–		John Jay (1745–1829)		Federalist	–	September 15, 1789	March 22, 1790	188 days	New York		George Washington (1789–1797)
1		Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) [7]		Democratic- Republican	–	March 22, 1790	December 31, 1793	3 years, 284 days	Virginia
2		Edmund Randolph (1753–1813) [8]		Federalist	–	January 2, 1794	August 20, 1795	1 year, 232 days	Virginia
3		Timothy Pickering (1745–1829) [9]		Federalist	–	August 20, 1795	December 10, 1795[b]	4 years, 265 days	Pennsylvania
						December 10, 1795	May 12, 1800
											John Adams (1797–1801)
–		Charles Lee (1758–1815) [c][10]		Federalist	–	May 13, 1800	June 5, 1800	23 days	Virginia
4		John Marshall (1755–1835) [11]		Federalist	–	June 13, 1800	February 4, 1801	264 days	Virginia
						February 4, 1801	March 4, 1801[d]
–		Levi Lincoln Sr. (1749–1820) [c][12]		Democratic- Republican	–	March 5, 1801	May 1, 1801	57 days	Massachusetts		Thomas Jefferson (1801–1809)
5		James Madison (1751–1836) [13]		Democratic- Republican	–	May 2, 1801	March 3, 1809	7 years, 305 days	Virginia
6		Robert Smith (1757–1842) [14]		Democratic- Republican	–	March 6, 1809	April 1, 1811	2 years, 26 days	Maryland		James Madison (1809–1817)
7		James Monroe (1758–1831) [15]		Democratic- Republican	30–0	April 2, 1811	September 30, 1814	5 years, 335 days	Virginia
						October 1, 1814	February 28, 1815[b]
						February 28, 1815	March 3, 1817
–		John Graham (1774–1820) [e][16]		Democratic- Republican	–	March 4, 1817	March 9, 1817	5 days	Kentucky		James Monroe (1817–1825)
–		Richard Rush (1780–1859) [c][17]		Federalist	–	March 10, 1817	September 22, 1817	196 days	Pennsylvania
8		John Quincy Adams (1767–1848) [18]		Democratic- Republican	29–1	September 22, 1817	March 3, 1825	7 years, 162 days	Massachusetts
–		Daniel Brent (1770–1841) [e][19]		Democratic- Republican	–	March 4, 1825	March 7, 1825	3 days	Virginia		John Quincy Adams (1825–1829)
9		Henry Clay (1777–1852) [20]		Democratic- Republican	27–14	March 7, 1825	March 3, 1829	3 years, 361 days	Kentucky
				National Republican
–		James Alexander Hamilton (1788–1878) [21]		Democratic	–	March 4, 1829	March 27, 1829	23 days	New York		Andrew Jackson (1829–1837)
10		Martin Van Buren (1782–1862) [22]		Democratic	25–7	March 28, 1829	May 23, 1831	2 years, 56 days	New York
11		Edward Livingston (1764–1836) [23]		Democratic	–	May 24, 1831	May 29, 1833	2 years, 5 days	Louisiana
12		Louis McLane (1786–1857) [24]		Democratic	[f]	May 29, 1833	June 30, 1834	1 year, 32 days	Delaware
13		John Forsyth (1780–1841) [25]		Democratic	–	July 1, 1834	March 3, 1841	6 years, 245 days	Georgia
											Martin Van Buren (1837–1841)
–		Jacob L. Martin (?–1848) [e][26]		–	–	March 4, 1841	March 5, 1841	1 day	District of Columbia		William Henry Harrison (1841)
14		Daniel Webster (1782–1852) [27]		Whig	–	March 6, 1841	May 8, 1843	2 years, 63 days	Massachusetts
											John Tyler (1841–1845)
–		Hugh S. Legaré (1797–1843) [c][28]		Democratic	–	May 9, 1843	June 20, 1843	42 days	South Carolina
–		William S. Derrick (1802–1852) [e][29]		–	–	June 21, 1843	June 23, 1843	2 days	Pennsylvania
15		Abel P. Upshur (1791–1844) [30]		Whig	–	June 24, 1843	July 23, 1843[g]	220 days	Virginia
						July 24, 1843	February 28, 1844
–		John Nelson (1791–1860) [c][31]		Whig	–	February 29, 1844	March 31, 1844	31 days	Maryland
16		John C. Calhoun (1782–1850) [32]		Democratic	–	April 1, 1844	March 10, 1845[h]	343 days	South Carolina
17		James Buchanan (1791–1868) [33]		Democratic	–	March 10, 1845	March 7, 1849[h]	3 years, 362 days	Pennsylvania		James K. Polk (1845–1849)
18		John M. Clayton (1796–1856) [34]		Whig	–	March 8, 1849	July 22, 1850	1 year, 136 days	Delaware		Zachary Taylor (1849–1850)
											Millard Fillmore (1850–1853)
19		Daniel Webster (1782–1852) [27]		Whig	–	July 23, 1850	October 24, 1852	2 years, 93 days	Massachusetts
–		Charles Magill Conrad (1804–1878) [b][35]		Whig	–	October 25, 1852	November 5, 1852	11 days	Louisiana
20		Edward Everett (1794–1865) [36]		Whig	–	November 6, 1852	March 3, 1853	117 days	Massachusetts
–		William Hunter (1805–1886) [e][37]		–	–	March 4, 1853	March 7, 1853	3 days	Rhode Island		Franklin Pierce (1853–1857)
21		William L. Marcy (1786–1857) [38]		Democratic	–	March 7, 1853	March 6, 1857[h]	3 years, 364 days	New York
22		Lewis Cass (1782–1866) [39]		Democratic	–	March 6, 1857	December 14, 1860	3 years, 283 days	Michigan		James Buchanan (1857–1861)
–		William Hunter (1805–1886) [e][37]		–	–	December 15, 1860	December 16, 1860	1 day	Rhode Island
23		Jeremiah S. Black (1810–1883) [40]		Democratic	–	December 17, 1860	March 5, 1861[h]	78 days	New York
24		William H. Seward (1801–1872) [41]		Republican	–	March 5, 1861	March 4, 1869	7 years, 364 days	New York		Abraham Lincoln (1861–1865)
											Andrew Johnson (1865–1869)
25		Elihu B. Washburne (1816–1887) [42]		Republican	–	March 5, 1869	March 16, 1869	11 days	Illinois		Ulysses S. Grant (1869–1877)
26		Hamilton Fish (1808–1893) [43]		Republican	–	March 17, 1869	March 12, 1877[h]	7 years, 360 days	New York
27		William M. Evarts (1818–1901) [44]		Republican	44–2	March 12, 1877	March 7, 1881[h]	3 years, 360 days	New York		Rutherford B. Hayes (1877–1881)
28		James G. Blaine (1830–1893) [45]		Republican	–	March 7, 1881	December 19, 1881	287 days	Maine		James A. Garfield (1881)
											Chester A. Arthur (1881–1885)
29		Frederick T. Frelinghuysen (1817–1885) [46]		Republican	–	December 19, 1881	March 6, 1885[h]	3 years, 77 days	New Jersey
30		Thomas F. Bayard (1828–1898) [47]		Democratic	–	March 7, 1885	March 6, 1889[h]	3 years, 364 days	Delaware		Grover Cleveland (1885–1889)
31		James G. Blaine (1830–1893) [45]		Republican	–	March 7, 1889	June 4, 1892	3 years, 89 days	Maine		Benjamin Harrison (1889–1893)
–		William F. Wharton (1847–1919) [i][48]		Republican	–	June 4, 1892	June 29, 1892	25 days	Massachusetts
32		John W. Foster (1836–1917) [49]		Republican	–	June 29, 1892	February 23, 1893	239 days	Indiana
–		William F. Wharton (1847–1919) [i][48]		Republican	–	February 24, 1893	March 6, 1893	10 days	Massachusetts
											Grover Cleveland (1893–1897)
33		Walter Q. Gresham (1832–1895) [50]		Democratic	–	March 7, 1893	May 28, 1895	2 years, 82 days	Illinois
–		Edwin F. Uhl (1841–1901) [i][51]		Democratic	–	May 28, 1895	June 9, 1895	12 days	Michigan
34		Richard Olney (1835–1917) [52]		Democratic	–	June 10, 1895	March 5, 1897[h]	1 year, 268 days	Massachusetts
35		John Sherman (1823–1900) [53]		Republican	–	March 6, 1897	April 27, 1898	1 year, 52 days	Ohio		William McKinley (1897–1901)
36		William R. Day (1849–1923) [54]		Republican	–	April 28, 1898	September 16, 1898	141 days	Ohio
–		Alvey A. Adee (1842–1924) [j][55]		Independent	–	September 17, 1898	September 29, 1898	12 days	New York
37		John Hay (1838–1905) [56]		Republican	–	September 30, 1898	July 1, 1905	6 years, 274 days	District of Columbia
											Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909)
–		Francis B. Loomis (1861–1948) [i][57]		Republican	–	July 1, 1905	July 18, 1905	17 days	Ohio
38		Elihu Root (1845–1937) [58]		Republican	–	July 19, 1905	January 27, 1909	3 years, 192 days	New York
39		Robert Bacon (1860–1919) [59]		Republican	–	January 27, 1909	March 5, 1909[h]	37 days	New York
40		Philander C. Knox (1853–1921) [60]		Republican	–	March 6, 1909	March 5, 1913[h]	3 years, 364 days	Pennsylvania		William Howard Taft (1909–1913)
41		William Jennings Bryan (1860–1925) [61]		Democratic	–	March 5, 1913	June 9, 1915	2 years, 96 days	Nebraska		Woodrow Wilson (1913–1921)
42		Robert Lansing (1864–1928) [62]		Democratic	–	June 9, 1915	June 24, 1915[k]	4 years, 249 days	New York
						June 24, 1915	February 13, 1920
–		Frank Polk (1871–1943) [l][63]		Democratic	–	February 14, 1920	March 14, 1920	29 days	New York
43		Bainbridge Colby (1869–1950) [64]		Democratic	–	March 23, 1920	March 4, 1921	346 days	New York
44		Charles Evans Hughes (1862–1948) [65]		Republican	–	March 5, 1921	March 4, 1925	3 years, 364 days	New York		Warren G. Harding (1921–1923)
											Calvin Coolidge (1923–1929)
45		Frank B. Kellogg (1856–1937) [66]		Republican	–	March 5, 1925	March 28, 1929	4 years, 23 days	Minnesota
											Herbert Hoover (1929–1933)
46		Henry L. Stimson (1867–1950) [67]		Republican	–	March 28, 1929	March 4, 1933	3 years, 341 days	New York
47		Cordell Hull (1871–1955) [68]		Democratic	–	March 4, 1933	November 30, 1944	11 years, 271 days	Tennessee		Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945)
48		Edward Stettinius Jr. (1900–1949) [69]		Democratic	68–1	December 1, 1944	June 27, 1945	208 days	Virginia
											Harry S. Truman (1945–1953)
–		Joseph Grew (1880–1965) [l][70]		Independent	–	June 28, 1945	July 3, 1945	5 days	New Hampshire
49		James F. Byrnes (1882–1972) [71]		Democratic	–	July 3, 1945	January 21, 1947	1 year, 202 days	South Carolina
50		George C. Marshall (1880–1959) [72]		Independent	–	January 21, 1947	January 20, 1949	1 year, 365 days	Pennsylvania
51		Dean Acheson (1893–1971) [73]		Democratic	83–6	January 21, 1949	January 20, 1953	3 years, 365 days	Maryland
–		H. Freeman Matthews (1899–1986) [l][74]		Independent	–	January 20, 1953	January 21, 1953	1 day	Maryland		Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961)
52		John Foster Dulles (1888–1959) [75]		Republican	–	January 21, 1953	April 22, 1959	6 years, 91 days	New York
53		Christian Herter (1895–1966) [76]		Republican	93–0	April 22, 1959	January 20, 1961	1 year, 273 days	Massachusetts
–		Livingston T. Merchant (1903–1976) [m][77]		Independent	–	January 20, 1961	January 21, 1961	1 day	District of Columbia		John F. Kennedy (1961–1963)
54		Dean Rusk (1909–1994) [78]		Democratic	–	January 21, 1961	January 20, 1969	7 years, 365 days	New York
											Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969)
–		Charles E. Bohlen (1904–1974) [n][79]		Independent	–	January 20, 1969	January 22, 1969	2 days	District of Columbia		Richard Nixon (1969–1974)
55		William P. Rogers (1913–2001) [80]		Republican	–	January 22, 1969	September 3, 1973	4 years, 224 days	Maryland
–		Kenneth Rush (1910–1994) [o][81]		Republican	–	September 3, 1973	September 22, 1973	19 days	Florida
56		Henry Kissinger (1923–2023) [82]		Republican	78–7	September 22, 1973	January 20, 1977	3 years, 120 days	District of Columbia
											Gerald Ford (1974–1977)
–		Philip Habib (1920–1992) [m][83]		Independent	–	January 20, 1977	January 23, 1977	3 days	California		Jimmy Carter (1977–1981)
57		Cyrus Vance (1917–2002) [84]		Democratic	Voice	January 23, 1977	April 28, 1980	3 years, 96 days	New York
–		Warren Christopher (1925–2011) [o][85]		Democratic	–	April 28, 1980	May 2, 1980	4 days	California
–		David D. Newsom (1918–2008) [m][86]		Independent	–	May 2, 1980	May 3, 1980	1 day	California
–		Richard N. Cooper (1934–2020) [p][87]		Independent	–	May 3, 1980	May 3, 1980	0 days	Connecticut
–		David D. Newsom (1918–2008) [m][86]		Independent	–	May 3, 1980	May 4, 1980	1 day	California
–		Warren Christopher (1925–2011) [o][85]		Democratic	–	May 4, 1980	May 8, 1980	4 days	California
58		Edmund Muskie (1914–1996) [88]		Democratic	94–2	May 8, 1980	January 18, 1981	255 days	Maine
–		David D. Newsom (1918–2008) [m][86]		Independent	–	January 18, 1981	January 22, 1981	4 days	California
59		Alexander Haig (1924–2010) [89]		Republican	93–6	January 22, 1981	July 5, 1982	1 year, 164 days	Connecticut		Ronald Reagan (1981–1989)
–		Walter J. Stoessel Jr. (1920–1986) [o][90]		Independent	–	July 5, 1982	July 16, 1982	11 days	California
60		George Shultz (1920–2021) [91]		Republican	97–0	July 16, 1982	January 20, 1989	6 years, 188 days	California
–		Michael Armacost (b. 1937) [m][92]		Independent	–	January 20, 1989	January 25, 1989	5 days	Maryland		George H. W. Bush (1989–1993)
61		James Baker (b. 1930) [93]		Republican	99–0	January 25, 1989	August 23, 1992	3 years, 211 days	Texas
62		Lawrence Eagleburger (1930–2011) [94]		Republican	–	August 23, 1992	December 8, 1992[o]	150 days	Florida
					Recess	December 8, 1992	January 20, 1993
–		Arnold Kanter (1945–2010) [q][95]		Independent	–	January 20, 1993	January 20, 1993	0 days	District of Columbia
–		Frank G. Wisner (b. 1938) [r][96]		Independent	–	January 20, 1993	January 20, 1993	0 days	District of Columbia		Bill Clinton (1993–2001)
63		Warren Christopher (1925–2011) [85]		Democratic	Voice	January 20, 1993	January 17, 1997	3 years, 363 days	California
64		Madeleine Albright (1937–2022) [97]		Democratic	99–0	January 23, 1997	January 20, 2001	3 years, 363 days	District of Columbia
65		Colin Powell (1937–2021) [98]		Republican	Voice	January 20, 2001	January 26, 2005	4 years, 6 days	Virginia		George W. Bush (2001–2009)
66		Condoleezza Rice (b. 1954) [99]		Republican	85–13	January 26, 2005	January 20, 2009	3 years, 360 days	California
–		Bill Burns (b. 1956) [m]		Independent	–	January 20, 2009	January 21, 2009	1 day	District of Columbia		Barack Obama (2009–2017)
67		Hillary Clinton (b. 1947) [100]		Democratic	94–2	January 21, 2009	February 1, 2013	4 years, 11 days	New York
68		John Kerry (b. 1943) [101]		Democratic	94–3	February 1, 2013	January 20, 2017	3 years, 354 days	Massachusetts
–		Tom Shannon (b. 1958) [m][102]		Republican	–	January 20, 2017	February 1, 2017	12 days	Minnesota		Donald Trump (2017–2021)
69		Rex Tillerson (b. 1952) [103]		Republican	55–43	February 1, 2017	March 31, 2018	1 year, 58 days	Texas
–		John Sullivan (b. 1959) [o]		Republican	–	April 1, 2018	April 26, 2018	25 days	Massachusetts
70		Mike Pompeo (b. 1963) [104]		Republican	57–42	April 26, 2018	January 20, 2021	2 years, 269 days	Kansas
–		Daniel Bennett Smith (b. 1956) [s][105]		Independent	–	January 20, 2021	January 26, 2021	6 days	Virginia		Joe Biden (2021–2025)
71		Antony Blinken (b. 1962) [106]		Democratic	78–22	January 26, 2021	January 20, 2025	3 years, 360 days	New York
–		Lisa Kenna (b. 1965) [t]		Independent	–	January 20, 2025	January 21, 2025	1 day	Vermont		Donald Trump (2025–present)
72		Marco Rubio (b. 1971)		Republican	99–0	January 21, 2025	present	92 days	Florida

1. Where no vote is listed, confirmation was by voice vote or otherwise unrecorded.^[6]
2. As Secretary of War.
3. As Attorney General.
4. As Chief Justice of the United States.
5. As Chief Clerk of the State Department.
6. This appears to have been a recess appointment that was never submitted to the Senate.^[6]
7. As Secretary of the Navy.
8. In addition to the president listed, this secretary of state served for a brief period of time (eight days or less) under that president's successor until a replacement could be named and confirmed.
9. As Assistant Secretary of State.
10. As Second Assistant Secretary of State.
11. As Counselor for the Department of State.
12. As Under Secretary of State.
13. As Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.
14. As Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.
15. As Deputy Secretary of State.
16. As Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs.
17. As Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.
18. As Under Secretary of State for International Security Affairs.
19. As Director of the Foreign Service Institute.
20. As Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research

Living former secretaries of state

As of April 2025, there are seven living former secretaries of state, the oldest being James Baker (served 1989–1992). The most recent death of a former secretary of state was that of Henry Kissinger (served 1973–1977) on November 29, 2023. The living former secretaries of state, in order of service, are:

• Living former secretaries of state
• 
  James Baker
  (1989–1992)
  Age 94
• 
  Condoleezza Rice
  (2005–2009)
  Age 70
• 
  Hillary Clinton
  (2009–2013)
  Age 77
• 
  John Kerry
  (2013–2017)
  Age 81
• 
  Rex Tillerson
  (2017–2018)
  Age 73
• 
  Mike Pompeo
  (2018–2021)
  Age 61
• 
  Antony Blinken
  (2021–2025)
  Age 63