United States Under Secretary of State
The Under Secretary of State, from 1919 to 1972, was the second-ranking official at the United States Department of State (immediately beneath the United States Secretary of State), serving as the Secretary's principal deputy, chief assistant, and Acting Secretary in the event of the Secretary's absence. Prior second-ranking positions had been the Chief Clerk, the Assistant Secretary of State, and the Counselor. Prior to 1944, a number of offices in the Department reported directly to the Under Secretary. In July 1972, the position of Deputy Secretary superseded that of Under Secretary of State.
In modern times, Under Secretaries of State rank above the Assistant Secretaries of State and below the Deputy Secretaries of State. The Counselor of the United States Department of State, who advises the Secretary of State, holds a rank equivalent to Under Secretary.
The following is a list of current offices bearing the title of "Under Secretary of State":
- Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
- Under Secretary of State for Management
- Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment
- Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs
- Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs
- Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights
Under Secretaries of State, 1919–1972
Name | Home state | Term of office | President(s) served under |
---|---|---|---|
Frank Lyon Polk | New York | July 1, 1919–June 15, 1920 | Woodrow Wilson |
Norman H. Davis | New York | June 15, 1920–March 7, 1921 | Woodrow Wilson and Warren G. Harding |
Henry P. Fletcher | Pennsylvania | March 8, 1921–March 6, 1922 | Warren G. Harding |
William Phillips | Massachusetts | April 26, 1922–April 11, 1924 | Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge |
Joseph C. Grew | New Hampshire | April 16, 1924–June 30, 1927 | Calvin Coolidge |
Robert E. Olds | Minnesota | July 1, 1927–June 30, 1928 | Calvin Coolidge |
J. Reuben Clark, Jr. | Utah | August 31, 1928–June 19, 1929 | Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover |
Joseph P. Cotton | New York | June 20, 1929–March 10, 1931 | Herbert Hoover |
William R. Castle, Jr. | District of Columbia | April 2, 1931–March 5, 1933 | Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt |
William Phillips | Massachusetts | March 6, 1933–August 23, 1936 | Franklin Roosevelt |
Sumner Welles | Maryland | May 21, 1937–September 30, 1943 | Franklin Roosevelt |
Edward R. Stettinius, Jr. | Virginia | October 4, 1943–November 30, 1944 | Franklin Roosevelt |
Joseph C. Grew | New York | December 20, 1944–August 15, 1945 | Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman |
Dean G. Acheson | Maryland | August 16, 1945–June 30, 1947 | Harry Truman |
Robert A. Lovett | New York | July 1, 1947–January 20, 1949 | Harry Truman |
James E. Webb | North Carolina | January 28, 1949–February 29, 1952 | Harry Truman |
David K. E. Bruce | Virginia | April 1, 1952–January 20, 1953 | Harry Truman |
Walter B. Smith | District of Columbia | February 9, 1953–October 1, 1954 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
Herbert Hoover, Jr. | California | October 4, 1954–February 5, 1957 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
Christian A. Herter | Massachusetts | February 21, 1957–April 22, 1959 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
C. Douglas Dillon | New Jersey | June 12, 1959–January 4, 1961 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
Chester Bowles | Connecticut | January 25–December 3, 1961 | John F. Kennedy |
George W. Ball | District of Columbia | December 4, 1961–September 30, 1966 | John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson |
Nicholas deB. Katzenbach | New Jersey | October 3, 1966–January 20, 1969 | Lyndon B. Johnson |
Elliot L. Richardson | Massachusetts | January 23, 1969–June 23, 1970 | Richard Nixon |
John N. Irwin II | New York | September 21, 1970–July 12, 1972 | Richard Nixon |
External links
- The Department of State's list of Under Secretaries in the period that it was the second-ranking position.
- The Department of State's list of former and current positions.