United States Assistant Secretary of War
Encyclopedia
The United States Assistant Secretary of War was the second-ranking official within the American Department of War
from 1861 to 1867, from 1882 to 1883, and from 1890 to 1940. According to the Military Laws of the United States, "The act of August 5, 1882 authorizing the appointment of an Assistant Secretary of War was repealed by the act of July 7, 1884 (23 Stat L., 331) the power conferred by the act of August 5, 1882 never having been exercised," indicating that the post was not filled between 1882 and 1883 (p. 45, footnote 2).
In 1940, the new position of United States Under Secretary of War
replaced this position as the number-two office in the department. Assistant Secretary Robert P. Patterson
became the first Under Secretary.
The office continued to exercise administrative duties until the department's end in 1947, when the United States Department of Defense
was established.
," "Assistant Secretary of War for Air," or "Assistant Secretary of War for Aeronautics." Those holding the office, with an eight-year vacancy between 1933 and 1941, were F. Trubee Davison
(1926-1933), Robert A. Lovett
(1941-1945), and Stuart Symington
(1946-1947).
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
from 1861 to 1867, from 1882 to 1883, and from 1890 to 1940. According to the Military Laws of the United States, "The act of August 5, 1882 authorizing the appointment of an Assistant Secretary of War was repealed by the act of July 7, 1884 (23 Stat L., 331) the power conferred by the act of August 5, 1882 never having been exercised," indicating that the post was not filled between 1882 and 1883 (p. 45, footnote 2).
In 1940, the new position of United States Under Secretary of War
United States Under Secretary of War
The Under Secretary of War was a position created by an act of 16 December 1940 . At the same time, section 5a of the National Defense Act was amended to allow the United States Secretary of War to assign his responsibilities for procurement to any of his subordinates...
replaced this position as the number-two office in the department. Assistant Secretary Robert P. Patterson
Robert P. Patterson
Robert Porter Patterson was the United States Under Secretary of War under President Franklin Roosevelt and the United States Secretary of War under President Harry S. Truman from September 27, 1945 to July 18, 1947....
became the first Under Secretary.
The office continued to exercise administrative duties until the department's end in 1947, when the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
was established.
List of Assistant Secretaries of War
This list only includes those persons who served as the Assistant Secretary, or First Assistant Secretary. At various times, there were also "second" or "third" assistant secretaries, ranking below the Assistant Secretary.- Thomas Alexander ScottThomas Alexander ScottThomas Alexander Scott was an American businessman. He was the 4th president of what was the largest corporation in the world, the Pennsylvania Railroad, during the middle of the 19th century...
(March 10, 1861- Jan 24, 1862) - Peter H. Watson (Jan 24-28 1862)
- John Tucker (Jan 29 1862-June 10 1862)
- Christopher WolcottChristopher WolcottChristopher Parsons Wolcott was a Republican politician from the state of Ohio. He was Ohio Attorney General 1856-1860 and First Assistant Secretary of War 1862-1863....
(June 11, 1862-April 4, 1863) died in office - Charles Anderson DanaCharles Anderson DanaCharles Anderson Dana was an American journalist, author, and government official, best known for his association with Ulysses S. Grant during the American Civil War and his aggressive political advocacy after the war....
(Jan 28, 1864-July 26, 1866) - Thomas EckertThomas EckertThomas T. Eckert was an officer in the U.S. Army, Chief of the War Department Telegraph Staff from 1862–1867, United States Assistant Secretary of War from 1865–1867 and an executive at Western Union.-Eckert's Early Life:...
(July 27, 1866-1867) -- under Edwin M. StantonEdwin M. StantonEdwin McMasters Stanton was an American lawyer and politician who served as Secretary of War under the Lincoln Administration during the American Civil War from 1862–1865...
during Andrew JohnsonAndrew JohnsonAndrew 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...
's presidency, office abolished 1868 - Lewis A. GrantLewis A. GrantLewis Addison Grant was a teacher, lawyer, soldier in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and later Assistant U.S. Secretary of War...
(c. 1890-1893) - Joseph Doe (c. 1893-1897)
- George D. Meiklejohn (1897-1901)
- William Cary Sanger (1901-1903)
- Robert Shaw Oliver (1903-1913)
- Henry S. Breckinridge (1913-1916) -- under Lindley M. GarrisonLindley M. GarrisonLindley Miller Garrison was a New Jersey lawyer who served as Secretary of War under U.S. President Woodrow Wilson between 1913 and 1916.-Biography:...
during Woodrow WilsonWoodrow WilsonThomas 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...
's presidency - William Ingraham (c. 1916-1917)
- Benedict CrowellBenedict CrowellBenedict Crowell was a United States military officer and politician particularly influential in military organization during and following World War I.-Biography:...
(1917-1920) - William Reid Williams (1920-1921)
- Mayhew Wainwright (c. 1921-1923)
- Dwight Filley Davis (1923-1925)
- Hanford MacNiderHanford MacNiderHanford “Jack” MacNider was a United States diplomat and United States Army General, serving in both World War I and World War II. He was a Scottish Rite Freemason.-Biography:...
(1925- c. 1928) - Patrick Jay Hurley (March–December 1929)
- Frederick Huff Payne (1930- c. 1933)
- Harry Hines WoodringHarry Hines WoodringHarry Hines Woodring was a U.S. political figure. He was born in 1890 in Elk City, Kansas. He was educated in city and county schools and at sixteen began work as a janitor in the First National Bank of Neodesha, Kansas...
(1933-1936) - Louis A. JohnsonLouis A. JohnsonLouis Arthur Johnson was the second United States Secretary of Defense, serving in the cabinet of President Harry S. Truman from March 28, 1949 to September 19, 1950....
(1937-1940) - Robert Porter Patterson (1940)
- John J. McCloyJohn J. McCloyJohn Jay McCloy was a lawyer and banker who served as Assistant Secretary of War during World War II, president of the World Bank and U.S. High Commissioner for Germany...
(c. 1941-1945) - Howard C. PetersenHoward C. PetersenHoward Charles Petersen was an American government official. He graduated from DePauw University in 1930 and the University of Michigan Law School in 1933...
(c. 1945-1947)
Assistant Secretary of War for Air
The Air Corps Act of 1926 (44 Stat. 780), passed on July 2 of that year, created a Second Assistant Secretary position in the War Department variously called "Assistant Secretary of War for AviationAviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
," "Assistant Secretary of War for Air," or "Assistant Secretary of War for Aeronautics." Those holding the office, with an eight-year vacancy between 1933 and 1941, were F. Trubee Davison
F. Trubee Davison
Frederick Trubee Davison , usually known as F. Trubee Davison, or Trubee Davison, was an American World War I aviator, Assistant US Secretary of War, Director of Personnel for the Central Intelligence Agency, and President of the American Museum of Natural History.Davison was the brother-in-law of...
(1926-1933), Robert A. Lovett
Robert A. Lovett
Robert Abercrombie Lovett was the fourth United States Secretary of Defense, serving in the cabinet of President Harry S. Truman from 1951 to 1953 and in this capacity, directed the Korean War. Promoted to the position from deputy secretary of defense Domhoff described Lovett as a "Cold War...
(1941-1945), and Stuart Symington
Stuart Symington
William Stuart Symington was a businessman and political figure from Missouri. He served as the first Secretary of the Air Force from 1947 to 1950 and was a Democratic United States Senator from Missouri from 1953 to 1976.-Education and business career:...
(1946-1947).