Secretary to the President of the United States
Encyclopedia
The Secretary to the President (sometimes dubbed the president's Private Secretary or Personal Secretary) was an old 19th and early 20th century White House
position that carried out all the tasks now spread throughout the modern White House Office
. The Secretary would act as a buffer between the President and the public, keeping the President's schedules and appointments, managing his correspondence, managing the staff, communicating to the press as well as being a close aide and advisor to the President in a manner that often required great skill and discretion. In terms of rank it is a precursor to the modern White House Chief of Staff
.
administration that the President had an official Secretary to the President. At the time of its peak the Secretary to the President was a much admired government office held by men of high ability and considered as worthy as a cabinet rank, it even merited an oath of office. Three private secretaries were later appointed to the Cabinet, these men being George B. Cortelyou
, John Hay
and Daniel S. Lamont
.
had one messenger and one secretary (referred to as an amanuensis
in the common parlance of the time) at his disposal, both of whose salaries were paid by the President personally. In fact, all Presidents up to James Buchanan
paid the salaries of their private secretaries out of their own pockets; these roles were usually fulfilled by their relatives, most often their sons or nephews. James K. Polk
notably had his wife
take the role.
It was during Buchanan's term at the White House in 1857 that the United States Congress
created a definite office named the "Private Secretary at the White House" and appropriated for its incumbent a salary of $2,500. The first man to hold such office officially and to be paid by the Government instead of by the President, was Buchanan's nephew J. B. Henry
. By Ulysses S. Grant
's presidency, the White House staff had grown to three.
By 1900, the office had grown in such stature that Congress elevated the position to "Secretary to the President", in addition to including on the White House staff two assistant secretaries, two executive clerks, a stenographer, and seven other office personnel. The first man to hold the office of Secretary to the President was John Addison Porter
whose failing health meant he was soon succeeded by George B. Cortelyou
. Radio and the advent of media coverage soon meant that Theodore Roosevelt
and Woodrow Wilson
too expanded the duties of their respective secretaries to dealing with reporters and giving daily press briefings.
Under Warren G. Harding
, the size of the staff expanded to thirty-one, although most were clerical positions. During Herbert Hoover
's presidency however, he tripled the staff adding two additional private secretaries to the President (at a salary of $10,000 each - increased from $7,200) added by Congress. The first Hoover designated his Legislative Secretary (the senior Secretary now informally referred to by the press as the President's "No.1 Secretary" ), the second his Confidential Secretary, and the third his Appointments and Press Secretary
.
In 1933 Franklin D. Roosevelt
converted Hoover's two extra secretaries into the permanent White House Press Secretary
and Appointments Secretary, but from 1933 to 1939, as he greatly expanded the scope of the federal government's policies and powers in response to the Great Depression, Roosevelt relied on his "Brain Trust
" of top advisers. Although working directly for the President, they were often appointed to vacant positions in agencies and departments, from whence they drew their salaries since the White House lacked statutory or budgetary authority to create new staff positions. It wasn't until 1939, during Franklin D. Roosevelt's second term in office, that the foundations of the modern White House staff were created using a formal structure. Roosevelt was able to get Congress to approve the creation of the Executive Office of the President reporting directly to the President which included the White House Office
. As a consequence, the office of Secretary to the President was greatly diminished in stature (mostly due to the lack of a sufficient replacement to Roosevelt's confidant Louis McHenry Howe
who had died in 1936) and had many of its duties supplanted by the Appointments Secretary.
In 1946, in response to the rapid growth of the U.S. government's executive branch, the position of Assistant to the President of the United States was established, and charged with the affairs of the White House. Together with the Appointments Secretary the two took responsibility of most of the President's affairs and at this point the Secretary to the President was charged with nothing other than managing the president's official correspondence before the office was discontinued at the close of the Truman administration.
In 1961, under Republican
President Dwight D. Eisenhower
, the president's pre-eminent assistant was designated the White House Chief of Staff
. Assistant to the President became a rank generally shared by the Chief of Staff with such senior aides as Deputy Chiefs of Staff, the White House Counsel
, the White House Press Secretary
, and others. This new system didn't catch on straight away. Democrats
Kennedy and Johnson still relied on their appointments secretaries instead and it was not until the Nixon administration that the Chief of Staff become a permanent fixture in the White House, and the appointments secretary was reduced to only functional importance. In the Eighties the job was re-designated to the White House Office of Appointments and Scheduling.
Eisenhower appointed Arthur H. Vandenberg, Jr.
to the position, but he took a leave of absence before Eisenhower's inauguration and later withdrew without ever having served.
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
position that carried out all the tasks now spread throughout the modern White House Office
White House Office
The White House Office is an entity within the Executive Office of the President of the United States. The White House Office is headed by the White House Chief of Staff, which was temporarily Pete Rouse, replaced on January 6, 2010 with the permanent appointment of William M. Daley, who is also...
. The Secretary would act as a buffer between the President and the public, keeping the President's schedules and appointments, managing his correspondence, managing the staff, communicating to the press as well as being a close aide and advisor to the President in a manner that often required great skill and discretion. In terms of rank it is a precursor to the modern White House Chief of Staff
White House Chief of Staff
The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:...
.
Stature
Every American President had a private secretary, but it was not until the McKinleyWilliam McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
administration that the President had an official Secretary to the President. At the time of its peak the Secretary to the President was a much admired government office held by men of high ability and considered as worthy as a cabinet rank, it even merited an oath of office. Three private secretaries were later appointed to the Cabinet, these men being George B. Cortelyou
George B. Cortelyou
George Bruce Cortelyou was an American Presidential Cabinet secretary of the early 20th century.-Early life:...
, John Hay
John Hay
John Milton Hay was an American statesman, diplomat, author, journalist, and private secretary and assistant to Abraham Lincoln.-Early life:...
and Daniel S. Lamont
Daniel S. Lamont
Daniel Scott Lamont was the United States Secretary of War during Grover Cleveland's second term.Lamont was born on his family’s farm in Cortland County, New York and attended Union College at Schenectady, New York. While attending Union College he joined the Delta Upsilon Fraternity...
.
History
During the nineteenth century, Presidents had few staff resources. Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
had one messenger and one secretary (referred to as an amanuensis
Amanuensis
Amanuensis is a Latin word adopted in various languages, including English, for certain persons performing a function by hand, either writing down the words of another or performing manual labour...
in the common parlance of the time) at his disposal, both of whose salaries were paid by the President personally. In fact, all Presidents up to James Buchanan
James Buchanan
James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century....
paid the salaries of their private secretaries out of their own pockets; these roles were usually fulfilled by their relatives, most often their sons or nephews. James K. Polk
James K. Polk
James Knox Polk was the 11th President of the United States . Polk was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He later lived in and represented Tennessee. A Democrat, Polk served as the 17th Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 12th Governor of Tennessee...
notably had his wife
Sarah Childress Polk
Sarah Childress Polk was the wife of the 11th President of the United States, James Polk, and the 12th woman to serve as First Lady. Sarah was born in 1803 to Joel Childress, a prominent planter, merchant, and land speculator, and Elizabeth Whitsitt Childress—the third of their six children...
take the role.
It was during Buchanan's term at the White House in 1857 that the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
created a definite office named the "Private Secretary at the White House" and appropriated for its incumbent a salary of $2,500. The first man to hold such office officially and to be paid by the Government instead of by the President, was Buchanan's nephew J. B. Henry
James Buchanan Henry
James Buchanan Henry was a lawyer, writer, secretary to the President, nephew and ward of James Buchanan. He was the first man to officially hold this office being paid by the Government. He held this position for two years....
. By Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
's presidency, the White House staff had grown to three.
By 1900, the office had grown in such stature that Congress elevated the position to "Secretary to the President", in addition to including on the White House staff two assistant secretaries, two executive clerks, a stenographer, and seven other office personnel. The first man to hold the office of Secretary to the President was John Addison Porter
John Addison Porter (Secretary to the President)
John Addison Porter was an American journalist, and the first person to hold the position of "Secretary to the President"....
whose failing health meant he was soon succeeded by George B. Cortelyou
George B. Cortelyou
George Bruce Cortelyou was an American Presidential Cabinet secretary of the early 20th century.-Early life:...
. Radio and the advent of media coverage soon meant that Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
and Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
too expanded the duties of their respective secretaries to dealing with reporters and giving daily press briefings.
Under Warren G. Harding
Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...
, the size of the staff expanded to thirty-one, although most were clerical positions. During Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
's presidency however, he tripled the staff adding two additional private secretaries to the President (at a salary of $10,000 each - increased from $7,200) added by Congress. The first Hoover designated his Legislative Secretary (the senior Secretary now informally referred to by the press as the President's "No.1 Secretary" ), the second his Confidential Secretary, and the third his Appointments and Press Secretary
Press secretary
A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....
.
In 1933 Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
converted Hoover's two extra secretaries into the permanent White House Press Secretary
White House Press Secretary
The White House Press Secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the government administration....
and Appointments Secretary, but from 1933 to 1939, as he greatly expanded the scope of the federal government's policies and powers in response to the Great Depression, Roosevelt relied on his "Brain Trust
Brain Trust
Brain trust began as a term for a group of close advisors to a political candidate or incumbent, prized for their expertise in particular fields. The term is most associated with the group of advisors to Franklin Roosevelt during his presidential administration...
" of top advisers. Although working directly for the President, they were often appointed to vacant positions in agencies and departments, from whence they drew their salaries since the White House lacked statutory or budgetary authority to create new staff positions. It wasn't until 1939, during Franklin D. Roosevelt's second term in office, that the foundations of the modern White House staff were created using a formal structure. Roosevelt was able to get Congress to approve the creation of the Executive Office of the President reporting directly to the President which included the White House Office
White House Office
The White House Office is an entity within the Executive Office of the President of the United States. The White House Office is headed by the White House Chief of Staff, which was temporarily Pete Rouse, replaced on January 6, 2010 with the permanent appointment of William M. Daley, who is also...
. As a consequence, the office of Secretary to the President was greatly diminished in stature (mostly due to the lack of a sufficient replacement to Roosevelt's confidant Louis McHenry Howe
Louis McHenry Howe
Louis McHenry Howe was an intimate friend and close political advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He, along with Eleanor Roosevelt and Margurite "Missy" LeHand, was one of the few close associates who supported FDR throughout the most difficult stages of his personal and political...
who had died in 1936) and had many of its duties supplanted by the Appointments Secretary.
In 1946, in response to the rapid growth of the U.S. government's executive branch, the position of Assistant to the President of the United States was established, and charged with the affairs of the White House. Together with the Appointments Secretary the two took responsibility of most of the President's affairs and at this point the Secretary to the President was charged with nothing other than managing the president's official correspondence before the office was discontinued at the close of the Truman administration.
In 1961, under Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
, the president's pre-eminent assistant was designated the White House Chief of Staff
White House Chief of Staff
The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:...
. Assistant to the President became a rank generally shared by the Chief of Staff with such senior aides as Deputy Chiefs of Staff, the White House Counsel
White House Counsel
The White House Counsel is a staff appointee of the President of the United States.-Role:The Counsel's role is to advise the President on all legal issues concerning the President and the White House...
, the White House Press Secretary
White House Press Secretary
The White House Press Secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the government administration....
, and others. This new system didn't catch on straight away. Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Kennedy and Johnson still relied on their appointments secretaries instead and it was not until the Nixon administration that the Chief of Staff become a permanent fixture in the White House, and the appointments secretary was reduced to only functional importance. In the Eighties the job was re-designated to the White House Office of Appointments and Scheduling.
Private Secretary
| Year(s) | Secretary | President |
|---|---|---|
| 1789–1793 1794–1797 |
Tobias Lear V1 | George Washington George Washington George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of... |
| 1789–1791 | Maj. William Jackson William Jackson (secretary) William Jackson was a figure in the American Revolution, most noteworthy as the secretary to the United States Constitutional Convention. He also served with distinction in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War... 2 |
|
| 1797–1801 | William Smith Shaw | John Adams John Adams John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States... |
| 1801–1803 | Cpt. Meriwether Lewis Meriwether Lewis Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer, soldier, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition also known as the Corps of Discovery, with William Clark... |
Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia... |
| 1803–1804 | Lewis Harvie | |
| 1804–1805 | William A. Burwell William A. Burwell William Armisted Burwell was a nineteenth century congressman and presidential secretary from Virginia.... |
|
| 1805–1809 | Isaac Coles Isaac Coles Isaac Coles was an American planter and statesman from Virginia.Coles was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1747. He was educated at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg. During the American Revolutionary War, he served as a colonel in the Virginia militia... |
|
| James Madison James Madison James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United... |
||
| 1810–1815 | Edward Coles Edward Coles Edward Coles manumitted his slaves in 1819, was secretary to James Madison , neighbor and anti-slavery associate of Thomas Jefferson and was the second Governor of Illinois, serving from 1822 to 1826... |
|
| 1816–1817 | James Payne Todd | |
| 1817–1820 | Joseph Jones Monroe | James Monroe James Monroe James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation... |
| 1820–1825 | Samuel L. Gouverneur Samuel L. Gouverneur Samuel Laurence Gouverneur was a lawyer and civil servant who was both nephew and son-in-law to the fifth President of the United States.-Life:... |
|
| 1825–1829 | John Adams III | John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former... |
| 1829–1830 | Maj. Andrew Jackson Donelson Andrew Jackson Donelson Andrew Jackson Donelson was an American diplomat and a candidate for Vice President of the United States.-Biography:... |
Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans... |
| 1831 | Nicholas Philip Trist | |
| 1831–1837 | Maj. Andrew Jackson Donelson Andrew Jackson Donelson Andrew Jackson Donelson was an American diplomat and a candidate for Vice President of the United States.-Biography:... |
|
| 1837–1841 | Maj. Abraham Van Buren Abraham Van Buren Abraham Van Buren was the eldest son of the eighth President of the United States, Martin Van Buren and his wife, Hannah Hoes Van Buren. Born in Kinderhook, New York, Abraham was named in honor of his paternal grandfather who was an officer in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War... |
Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States . Before his presidency, he was the eighth Vice President and the tenth Secretary of State, under Andrew Jackson .... |
| 1841 | Henry Huntington Harrison | William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the... |
| 1841–1845 | John Tyler, Jr. | John Tyler John Tyler John Tyler was the tenth President of the United States . A native of Virginia, Tyler served as a state legislator, governor, U.S. representative, and U.S. senator before being elected Vice President . He was the first to succeed to the office of President following the death of a predecessor... |
| 1845–1849 | Joseph Knox Walker Sarah Childress Polk Sarah Childress Polk Sarah Childress Polk was the wife of the 11th President of the United States, James Polk, and the 12th woman to serve as First Lady. Sarah was born in 1803 to Joel Childress, a prominent planter, merchant, and land speculator, and Elizabeth Whitsitt Childress—the third of their six children... 3 |
James K. Polk James K. Polk James Knox Polk was the 11th President of the United States . Polk was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He later lived in and represented Tennessee. A Democrat, Polk served as the 17th Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 12th Governor of Tennessee... |
| 1849–1850 | Col.William Wallace Smith Bliss | Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass... |
| 1850–1853 | Millard Powers Fillmore Millard Powers Fillmore Millard Powers Fillmore was one of two children and the only son of US President Millard Fillmore and Abigail Powers. Known familiarly as "Powers", he was born in Aurora, New York. He studied law in his father's office and attended Harvard. He served as his father's private secretary during the... |
Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States and the last member of the Whig Party to hold the office of president... |
| 1853–1857 | Sidney Webster | Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce was the 14th President of the United States and is the only President from New Hampshire. Pierce was a Democrat and a "doughface" who served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Pierce took part in the Mexican-American War and became a brigadier general in the Army... |
| 1Washington had several young copyists he used to dictate his correspondence to. These were Robert "Bob" Lewis, Howell Lewis, Bartholomew Dandridge, Jr. and George Washington Craik. 2As Aide-de-camp Aide-de-camp An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state... . 3His wife, it is said, too was his personal secretary. |
||
Private Secretary to the White House
| Year(s) | Secretary | President |
|---|---|---|
| 1857–1859 | James Buchanan Henry James Buchanan Henry James Buchanan Henry was a lawyer, writer, secretary to the President, nephew and ward of James Buchanan. He was the first man to officially hold this office being paid by the Government. He held this position for two years.... |
James Buchanan James Buchanan James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century.... |
| 1859–1861 | James Buchanan II | |
| 1861–1865 | John G. Nicolay | Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and... |
| 1861–1865 | Maj. John Hay John Hay John Milton Hay was an American statesman, diplomat, author, journalist, and private secretary and assistant to Abraham Lincoln.-Early life:... 1 |
|
| 1865-66 | Col. William A. Browning | Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American... |
| 1866 | Edmund Cooper Edmund Cooper (congressman) Edmund Cooper was a U.S. Representative from Tennessee, brother of Henry Cooper.-Biography:Born in Franklin, Tennessee, Cooper was graduated from Jackson College in 1839.He studied law at Harvard University.... |
|
| 1866–1869 | Col. Robert Johnson | |
| 1865 | Gen. R. D. Mussey Reuben D. Mussey, Jr. Reuben D. Mussey, Jr. was a Union Army General during the American Civil War and a distinguished lawyer. He was the husband of Ellen Spencer Mussey who was also his law partner and became the head of the practice upon his death.-Biography:Mussey was the son of the medical doctor Reuben D. Mussey... 1 |
|
| 1866–1869 | Col. William G. Moore1 | |
| 1869–1873 | Robert M. Douglas Robert M. Douglas Robert Martin Douglas was a North Carolina Supreme Court justice and political figure. At the beginning of his career, the young attorney served the Republican governor of the state and President Ulysses S... 2 |
Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America... |
| 1873–1876 | Col. Levi P. Luckey2 | |
| 1876–1877 | Ulysses S. Grant, Jr.2 | |
| 1869–1872 | Gen. Horace Porter Horace Porter Horace Porter, was an American soldier and diplomat who served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.... 1 |
|
| 1869–1873 | Gen. Frederick Tracy Dent Frederick Tracy Dent Frederick Tracy Dent was an American general, born in White Haven, St. Louis County, Missouri He graduated at West Point in 1843, was assigned as brevet second lieutenant to the 6th US Infantry, served in the Southern campaign during the Mexican War, and was brevetted first lieutenant and captain... 1 |
|
| 1869–1876 | Gen. Orville E. Babcock Orville E. Babcock Orville Elias Babcock was an American Civil War General in the Union Army. Immediately upon graduating third in his class as United States Military Academy in 1861, Babcock would go onto serve efficiently in the Corps of Engineers throughout the Civil War and was promoted to Brevet Brigadier... 1 |
|
| 1877–1881 | William King Rogers Webb C. Hayes |
Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th President of the United States . As president, he oversaw the end of Reconstruction and the United States' entry into the Second Industrial Revolution... |
| 1881–1882 | Joseph Stanley-Brown | James Garfield James Garfield James Abram Garfield served as the 20th President of the United States, after completing nine consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Garfield's accomplishments as President included a controversial resurgence of Presidential authority above Senatorial courtesy in executive... |
| Chester Arthur | ||
| 1882–1885 | Fred J. Phillips | |
| 1885–1889 | Col. Daniel Scott Lamont | Grover Cleveland Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents... |
| 1889–1893 | Lt.Col. Elijah Halford | Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there... |
| 1893–1896 | Henry T. Thurber | Grover Cleveland Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents... |
| 1As Military Secretary. 2 Grant was closer to his Military Secretaries who did most of the work normally associated with the Private Secretary. |
||
Secretary to the President
| Year(s) | Secretary | President |
|---|---|---|
| 1897–1899 | John Addison Porter John Addison Porter (Secretary to the President) John Addison Porter was an American journalist, and the first person to hold the position of "Secretary to the President".... |
William McKinley William McKinley William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s... |
| 1899–1903 | George B. Cortelyou George B. Cortelyou George Bruce Cortelyou was an American Presidential Cabinet secretary of the early 20th century.-Early life:... |
|
| Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity... |
||
| 1903–1909 | William Loeb, Jr. William Loeb, Jr. William Loeb, Jr. was an American political figure. He was the Presidential secretary to President Theodore Roosevelt and Collector of the Port of New York from 1909 to 1913. He was the father to William Loeb III, the conservative publisher of the Manchester Union Leader.-Early career:William... |
|
| 1909–1910 | Fred W. Carpenter | William Howard Taft William Howard Taft William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States... |
| 1910–1911 | Charles D. Norton | |
| 1911–1912 | Charles D. Hilles Charles D. Hilles Charles Dewey Hilles was a politician from the U. S. state of New York.Hilles was born in Belmont County, Ohio to Samuel and Elizabeth Hilles. In 1896 he married Dollie Bell Whiley... |
|
| 1912–1913 | Carmi Thompson | |
| 1913–1921 | Joseph Tumulty | Woodrow Wilson Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913... |
| 1922–1923 | George B. Christian, Jr. | Warren G. Harding Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator... |
| 1923–1924 | C. Bascom Slemp C. Bascom Slemp Campbell Bascom Slemp was an American Republican politician. He was a six-time United States congressman from Virginia's 9th congressional district from 1907 to 1922 and served as the presidential secretary to President Calvin Coolidge... |
Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state... |
| 1925–1929 | Everett Sanders Everett Sanders Jmes Everett Sanders was an American political figure. He was Presidential secretary to President Calvin Coolidge and chairman of the Republican National Committee.-Biography:... |
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| 1929–1933 | Walter H. Newton1 Lawrence Richey1 |
Herbert Hoover Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business... |
| 1929–1931 | George Edward Akerson George Edward Akerson George Edward Akerson was a U.S. journalist, and the first official White House Press Secretary.-Early life:Akerson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He attended the University of Minnesota, taking classes in Science, Literature and Art. After leaving there, he received a job at the Minneapolis... 1 |
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| 1931–1933 | Ted Joslin | |
| 1933–1936 | Col. Louis McHenry Howe Louis McHenry Howe Louis McHenry Howe was an intimate friend and close political advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He, along with Eleanor Roosevelt and Margurite "Missy" LeHand, was one of the few close associates who supported FDR throughout the most difficult stages of his personal and political... |
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war... |
| 1937–1938 | James Roosevelt James Roosevelt James Roosevelt was the oldest son of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was a United States Congressman, an officer in the United States Marine Corps, an aide to his father, the official Secretary to the President, a Democratic Party activist, and a businessman.-Early life:Roosevelt was... |
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| 1941–1943 | Col. Marvin H. McIntyre Marvin H. McIntyre Marvin Hunter McIntyre was an American journalist and Presidential Secretary to President Franklin D. Roosevelt .-Biography:... |
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| 1944–1952 | William D. Hassett2 | |
| Harry Truman | ||
| 1952–1953 | Beth Campbell Short Joseph Short Joseph H. Short was White House Press Secretary from 1950 to 1952 and served under President Harry S. Truman-Timeline:* 1904 Born, Vicksburg, Mississippi* 1925 A.B., Virginia Military Institute... 2 |
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| 1President Hoover had three private secretaries. The additional two were later "Appointments Secretary" and "Press Secretary". 2As "Correspondence Secretary to the president" |
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Appointments Secretary
The appointments secretary was the guardian of the President's time. He had the responsibility of acting as "gatekeeper" and decided who got to meet with him.Eisenhower appointed Arthur H. Vandenberg, Jr.
Arthur H. Vandenberg, Jr.
Arthur Hendrick Vandenberg, Jr. was a Republican government official from Michigan. He worked for many years on the staff of his father, Arthur H. Vandenberg , who served in the U.S. Senate from 1928 to 1951...
to the position, but he took a leave of absence before Eisenhower's inauguration and later withdrew without ever having served.
| Year(s) | Secretary | President |
|---|---|---|
| 1929–1931 | George Edward Akerson George Edward Akerson George Edward Akerson was a U.S. journalist, and the first official White House Press Secretary.-Early life:Akerson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He attended the University of Minnesota, taking classes in Science, Literature and Art. After leaving there, he received a job at the Minneapolis... 1 |
Herbert Hoover Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business... |
| 1931–1933 | Ted Joslin1 | |
| 1933–1938 | Col. Marvin H. McIntyre Marvin H. McIntyre Marvin Hunter McIntyre was an American journalist and Presidential Secretary to President Franklin D. Roosevelt .-Biography:... 2 |
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war... |
| 1938–1945 | Gen. Edwin "Pa" Watson | |
| 1945–1953 | Matt Connelly | |
| Harry Truman | ||
| 1953–1955 | Thomas E. Stephens Thomas E. Stephens (politician) Thomas Edwin Stephens served in the Eisenhower White House and worked on various Republican political campaigns.... |
Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army... |
| 1955–1957 | Bernard M. Shanley Bernard M. Shanley Bernard Michael Shanley was best known for his work with U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower. He served under President Eisenhower as Deputy White House Chief of Staff, Appointments Secretary and Special Counsel .-Biography:Shanley was born in Newark, New Jersey on August 4, 1903 and began his... |
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| 1957–1961 | Thomas E. Stephens Thomas E. Stephens (politician) Thomas Edwin Stephens served in the Eisenhower White House and worked on various Republican political campaigns.... |
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| 1961–1963 | Kenneth P. O'Donnell3 | John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963.... |
| 1963–1968 | W. Marvin Watson W. Marvin Watson William Marvin Watson was an advisor to U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson and was Postmaster General in 1968 and early 1969.-Biography:... 3 |
Lyndon Johnson |
| 1968 | James Robert Jones James Robert Jones James Robert "Jim" Jones is a lawyer, a Democratic politician, a retired U.S. Congressman from Oklahoma, and a former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico.... 3 |
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| 1968–1973 | Dwight Chapin Dwight Chapin Dwight L. Chapin was Deputy Assistant to the President Richard M. Nixon.Chapin was born in Wichita, Kansas. He got his first experience in California politics in 1958 at the American Legion's Boys State summer program, where he was elected the head of the Tory Party. His counterpart, the Whig... |
Richard Nixon Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under... |
| 1974–1976 | Warren S. Rustand Warren S. Rustand Warren S. Rustand is an entrepreneur, educator and public servant, having served as the appointments secretary to President Gerald Ford during his time as a White House Scholar.... |
Gerald Ford Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974... |
| 1977–1978 | Timothy Kraft | Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office... |
| 1978–1981 | Phil J Wise | |
| 1As Appointments and Press Secretary. 2Before 1937 the title was only "assistant secretary to appointments". 3De facto White House Chief of Staff White House Chief of Staff The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:... |
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Personal secretary to the President
The Secretary to the President should not be confused with the modern President's personal secretary who is officially an Administrative Assistant in the President's Office. The position of personal secretary is a low-key job assisting the President with his paperwork in a nondescript fashion.| Year(s) | Secretary | President |
|---|---|---|
| 1933–1941 | Missy LeHand | Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war... |
| 1941–1945 | Grace Tully Grace Tully Grace Tully was private secretary to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt .Grace Tully was born on 9 August 1900 in Bayonne, New Jersey. Her father was a businessman and a loyalist to the Democratic Party. He died when she was young, and Tully and her two sisters and brother were raised by their... |
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| 1945–1953 | Rose Conway | Harry Truman |
| 1953–1961 | Ann C. Whitman Ann C. Whitman Ann C. Whitman was a native of Perry, Ohio. She briefly attended Antioch College in Ohio and then moved to New York in 1929 to obtain work as a secretary. For many years she was the personal secretary to Mrs. David Levy, whose father was one of the founders of Sears, Roebuck and Company. In 1941... |
Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army... |
| 1961–1963 | Evelyn Lincoln Evelyn Lincoln Evelyn Maurine Norton Lincoln was the personal secretary to John F. Kennedy from his election to the United States Senate in 1953 until his 1963 assassination in Dallas. Mrs... |
John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963.... |
| 1963–1968 | Gerri Whittington | Lyndon Johnson |
| 1968–1974 | Rose Mary Woods Rose Mary Woods Rose Mary Woods was Richard Nixon's secretary from his days in the Congress in 1951, through his Vice Presidency, Presidency, and until the end of his political career. Before H.R... |
Richard Nixon Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under... |
| 1974–1977 | Dorothy E. Downton | Gerald Ford Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974... |
| 1977–1981 | Susan Clough Susan Clough Susan Clough was the personal executive secretary to President Jimmy Carter. She also worked for him prior to his presidency.-Prior to secretarial work:... |
Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office... |
| 1981–1989 | Kathleen Osborne | Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor.... |
| 1989–1993 | Linda Casey | George H. W. Bush George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to... |
| 1993–2000 | Betty Currie Betty Currie Betty Currie is the former personal secretary for Bill Clinton... |
Bill Clinton Bill Clinton William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation... |
| 2000–2004 | Ashley Estes Kavanaugh | George W. Bush George W. Bush George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000.... |
| 2004–2009 | Karen E. Keller | |
| 2009-2011 | Katie Johnson Katie Johnson (personal secretary) Katherine B. "Katie" Johnson served as the personal secretary to United States President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2011.-Personal life:Johnson grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, and moved with her parents to Brookline, Massachusetts, in 1999 before entering Wellesley College. She is the oldest of... |
Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... |
| 2011– | Anita Decker | |