The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), with eight bureaus, is the nation's principal conservation agency, charged with the mission to protect America's treasures for future generations, provide access to the nation's natural and cultural heritage, offer recreation opportunities, honor its trust responsibilities to American Indians and Alaska Natives and its responsibilities to island communities. In addition, the department conducts scientific research, provides wise stewardship of energy and mineral resources, fosters sound use of land and water resources, and conserves and protects fish and wildlife. The Secretary of the Interior is appointed by the president with the approval of the Senate. He or she directs and supervises all aspects of the department, including the territorial governments.
|
Term of Service
|
Secretary
|
Home State
|
Administration
|
|
1849 - 1850
|
Thomas Ewing | Ohio | Taylor |
|
1850
|
Thomas M.T. McKennan | Pennsylvania | Fillmore |
|
1850 - 1853
|
Alex H.H. Stewart | Virginia | Fillmore |
|
1853 - 1857
|
Robert McClelland | Michigan | Pierce |
|
1857 - 1861
|
Jacob Thompson | Mississippi | Buchanan |
|
1861 - 1863
|
Caleb B. Smith | Indiana | Lincoln |
|
1863 - 1865
|
John P. Usher | Indiana | Lincoln |
|
1865 - 1865
|
John P. Usher | Indiana | A. Johnson |
|
1865 - 1866
|
James Harlan | Iowa | A. Johnson |
|
1866 - 1869
|
Orville Browning | Illinois | A. Johnson |
|
1869 - 1870
|
Jacob D. Cox | Ohio | Grant |
|
1870 - 1875
|
Columbus Delano | Ohio | Grant |
|
1875 - 1877
|
Zachariah Chandler | Michigan | Grant |
|
1877 - 1881
|
Carl Schurz | Missouri | Hayes |
|
1881 - 1882
|
Samuel J. Kirkwood | Iowa | Garfield |
|
1882 - 1885
|
Henry M. Teller | Colorado | Arthur |
|
1885 - 1888
|
Lucius Q.C. Lamar | Mississippi | Cleveland |
|
1888 - 1889
|
William F. Vilas | Wisconsin | Cleveland |
|
1889 - 1893
|
John W. Noble | Missouri | B. Harrison |
|
1893 - 1896
|
Hoke Smith | Georgia | Cleveland |
|
1896 - 1897
|
David R. Francis | Missouri | Cleveland |
|
1897 - 1899
|
Cornelius N. Bliss | New York | McKinley |
|
1899 - 1901
|
Ethan A. Hitchcock | Missouri | McKinley |
|
1901 - 1907
|
Ethan A. Hitchcock | Missouri | T. Roosevelt |
|
1907 - 1909
|
James R. Garfield | Ohio | T. Roosevelt |
|
1909 - 1911
|
Richard A. Ballinger | Washington | Taft |
|
1911 - 1913
|
Walter L. Fisher | Illinois | Taft |
|
1913 - 1920
|
Franklin K. Lane | California | Wilson |
|
1920 - 1921
|
John B. Payne | Illinois | Wilson |
|
1921 - 1923
|
Albert B. Fall | New Mexico | Harding |
|
1923 - 1923
|
Hubert Work | Colorado | Harding |
|
1923 - 1929
|
Hubert Work | Colorado | Coolidge |
|
1929
|
Roy O. West | Illinois | Coolidge |
|
1929 - 1933
|
Ray Lymon Wilbur | California | Hoover |
|
1933 - 1945
|
Harold L. Ickes | Illinois | F.D. Roosevelt |
|
1945 - 1946
|
Harold L. Ickes | Illinois | Truman |
|
1946 - 1949
|
Julius A. Krug | Wisconsin | Truman |
|
1949 - 1953
|
Oscar L. Chapman | Colorado | Truman |
|
1953 - 1956
|
Douglas McKay | Oregon | Eisenhower |
|
1956 - 1961
|
Fred A. Seaton | Nebraska | Eisenhower |
|
1961 - 1963
|
Stuart L. Udall | Arizona | Kennedy |
|
1963 - 1969
|
Stuart L. Udall | Arizona | L.B. Johnson |
|
1969 - 1971
|
Walter J. Hickel | Alaska | Nixon |
|
1971 - 1974
|
Rogers C.B. Morton | Maryland | Nixon |
|
1974 - 1975
|
Rogers C.B. Morton | Maryland | Ford |
|
1975 - 1977
|
Stanley K. Hathaway | Wyoming | Ford |
|
1977 - 1981
|
Cecil D. Andrus | Idaho | Carter |
|
1981 - 1983
|
James G. Watt | Colorado | Reagan |
|
1983 - 1985
|
William P. Clark | California | Reagan |
|
1985 - 1989
|
Donald P. Hodel | Oregon | Reagan |
|
1989 - 1993
|
Manuel Lujan Jr. | New Mexico | Bush |
|
1993 - 2001
|
Bruce Babbitt | Arizona | Clinton |
|
2001 - 2006
|
Gale A. Norton | Colorado | G.W. Bush |
2006 - 2009
|
Dirk Kempthorne | California | G.W. Bush |
2009 - 2013
|
Ken Salazar | Colorado | Obama |
2013 - 2017
|
Sally Jewell | Washington | Obama |
2017 - 2019
|
Ryan Zinke | Montana | Trump |
2019 - 2021
|
David Bernhardt | Washington | Trump |
2021 - present
|
Deb Haaland | New Mexico | Biden |
|
| See cabinet officers sorted by administration. | ||