The War Department was an executive department of the United States government from 1789 to 1947, when its name was changed and it was reorganized. It was created to supervise all military functions and aspects of national defense. In 1798, Congress separated the Navy from the Army, which created a new Department of the Navy. The War Department continued to supervise the Army. Both department secretaries were answerable to the president, were members of his Cabinet, and cooperated in joint committees and conferences.
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Term of Service
|
Secretary
|
Home State
|
Administration
|
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1789 -1795
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Henry Knox | Massachusetts | Washington |
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1795 - 1796
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Timothy Pickering | Pennsylvania | Washington |
|
1796 - 1797
|
James McHenry | Maryland | Washington |
|
1797 - 1800
|
John Adams | ||
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1800 - 1801
|
Samuel Dexter | Maryland | John Adams |
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1801 - 1809
|
Henry Dearborn | Massachusetts | Jefferson |
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1809 - 1813
|
William Eustis | Massachusetts | Madison |
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1813 - 1814
|
John Armstrong | New York | Madison |
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1814 - 1815
|
James Monroe | Virginia | Madison |
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1815 - 1817
|
William H. Crawford | Georgia | Madison |
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1817 - 1825
|
John C. Calhoun | South Carolina | Monroe |
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1825 - 1828
|
James Barbour | Virginia | J. Q. Adams |
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1828 - 1829
|
Peter B. Porter | New York | J. Q. Adams |
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1829 - 1831
|
John H. Eaton | Tennessee | Jackson |
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1831 - 1837
|
Lewis Cass | Michigan | Jackson |
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1837
|
Benjamin F. Butler | New York | Jackson |
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1837 - 1841
|
Joel R. Poinsett | South Carolina | Van Buren |
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1841
|
John Bell | Tennessee | W. H. Harrison |
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1841
|
Tyler | ||
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1841 - 1843
|
John C. Spencer | New York | Tyler |
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1843 - 1844
|
James M. Porter | Pennsylvania | Tyler |
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1844 - 1845
|
William Wilkins | Pennsylvania | Tyler |
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1845 - 1849
|
William M. Marcy | New York | Polk |
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1849 - 1850
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George W. Crawford | Georgia | Taylor |
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1850 - 1853
|
Charles M. Conrad | Louisiana | Fillmore |
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1853 - 1857
|
Jefferson Davis | Mississippi | Pierce |
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1857 - 1861
|
John B. Floyd | Virginia | Buchanan |
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1861
|
Joseph Holt | Kentucky | Buchanan |
|
1861 - 1862
|
Simon Cameron | Pennsylvania | Lincoln |
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1862 - 1865
|
Edwin M. Stanton | Pennsylvania | Lincoln |
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1865 - 1868
|
A. Johnson | ||
|
1868 - 1869
|
John M. Schofield | Illinois | A. Johnson |
|
1869
|
John A. Rawlins | Illinois | Grant |
|
1869
|
William T. Sherman | Ohio | Grant |
|
1869 - 1876
|
William W. Belknap | Iowa | Grant |
|
1876
|
Alphonso Taft | Ohio | Grant |
|
1876 - 1877
|
James D. Cameron | Pennsylvania | Grant |
|
1877 - 1879
|
George W. McCray | Iowa | Hayes |
|
1879 - 1881
|
Alexander Ramsey | Minnesota | Hayes |
|
1881
|
Robert T. Lincoln | Illinois | Garfield |
|
1881 - 1885
|
Arthur | ||
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1885 - 1889
|
William C. Endicott | Massachusetts | Cleveland |
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1889 - 1891
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Redfield Proctor | Vermont | B. Harrison |
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1891 - 1893
|
Stephen B. Elkins | West Virginia | B. Harrison |
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1893 - 1897
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Daniel S. Lamont | New York | Cleveland |
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1897 - 1899
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Russel A. Alger | Michigan | McKinley |
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1899 - 1901
|
Elihu Root | New York | McKinley |
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1901 - 1904
|
T. Roosevelt | ||
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1904 - 1908
|
William H. Taft | Ohio | T. Roosevelt |
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1908 - 1909
|
Luke E. Wright | Tennessee | T. Roosevelt |
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1909 - 1911
|
Jacob M. Dickinson | Tennessee | Taft |
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1911 - 1913
|
Henry L. Stimson | New York | Taft |
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1913 - 1916
|
Lindley M. Garrison | New Jersey | Wilson |
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1916 - 1921
|
Newton D. Baker | Ohio | Wilson |
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1921 - 1923
|
John W. Weeks | Massachusetts | Harding |
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1923 - 1925
|
Coolidge | ||
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1925 - 1929
|
Dwight F. Davis | Missouri | Coolidge |
|
1929
|
James W. Good | Illinois | Hoover |
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1929 - 1933
|
Patrick J. Hurley | Oklahoma | Hoover |
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1933 - 1937
|
George H. Dern | Utah | F.D. Roosevelt |
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1937 - 1940
|
Harry H. Woodring | Kansas | F.D. Roosevelt |
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1940 - 1945
|
Henry L. Stimson | New York | F.D. Roosevelt |
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1945 - 1947
|
Robert P. Patterson | New York | Truman |
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1947
|
Kenneth C. Royall | North Carolina | Truman |
| See cabinet officers sorted by administration. | ||