Secretaries of the Navy 1798 - 1825 Secretaries of the Navy 1900 - 1925 Secretaries of the Navy 1825 - 1850 Secretaries of the Navy 1925 - 1950 Secretaries of the Navy 1850 - 1875 Secretaries of the Navy 1950 - 1975 Secretaries of the Navy 1875 - 1900 Secretaries of the Navy 1975 to the present NOTE: If date in office spans two tables, the entry will be in the table of which office was started.
| Office Year | Name | Birthdate |
|---|---|---|
| June 18, 1798 - March 31, 1801 |
Benjamin Stoddert | 1751 |
| July 27, 1801- March 7, 1809 |
Robert Smith | November 1757 |
| May 15, 1809 - December 31, 1812 |
Paul Hamilton | October 16, 1762 |
| January 19, 1813 - January 12, 1814 |
William Jones | 1760 |
| January 16, 1815 - September 30, 1818 |
Benjamin W. Crowninshield | December 27, 1772 |
| January 1, 1819 - August 31, 1823 |
Smith Thompson | January 17, 1768 |
| September 16, 1823 - March 3, 1829 |
Samuel Southard | June 9, 1787 |
(1825) (1850) (1875) (1900) (1925) (1950) (1975) Return to top of page
| Office Year | Name | Birthdate |
|---|---|---|
| March 9, 1829 - May 12, 1831 |
John Branch | November 4, 1782 |
| May 23, 1831 - June 30, 1834 |
Levi Woodbury | December 22, 1789 |
| July 1, 1834 - June 30, 1838 |
Mahlon Dickerson | April 17, 1770 |
| July 1, 1838 - March 3, 1841 |
James K. Paulding | August 27, 1778 |
| March 6, 1841 - September 11,1841 |
George E. Badger | April 13, 1795 |
| October 11, 1841 - July 23, 1843 |
Abel P. Upshur | June 17, 1790 |
| July 24, 1843 - February 18, 1844 |
David Henshaw | April 2, 1791 |
| February 19, 1844 - February 28, 1844 |
Thomas W. Gilmer | April 6, 1802 |
| March 26, 1844 - March 10, 1845 |
John Y. Mason | April 18, 1799 |
| March 11, 1845 - September 9, 1846 |
George Bancroft | October 3, 1800 |
| September 10, 1846 - March 7, 1849 |
John Y. Mason | April 18, 1799 |
| March 8, 1849 - July 22, 1850 |
William B. Preston | November 25, 1805 |
(1800) (1850) (1875) (1900) (1925) (1950) (1975) Return to top of page
| Office Year | Name | Birthdate (if known) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2, 1850 - July 25, 1852 |
William A. Graham | September 5, 1804 |
| July 26, 1852 - March 7, 1853 |
John P. Kennedy | October 25, 1795 |
| March 8, 1853 - March 6, 1857 |
James C. Dobbin | 1804 |
| March 7, 1857 - March 6, 1861 |
Isaac Toucey | November 5, 1796 |
| March 7, 1861 - March 3, 1869 |
Gideon Welles | July 1, 1802 |
| March 9, 1869 - June 25, 1869 |
Adolph E. Borie | November 25, 1809 |
| June 26, 1869 - March 12, 1877 |
George M. Robeson | 1829 |
(1800) (1825) (1875) (1900) (1925) (1950) (1975) Return to top of page
| Office Year | Name | Birthdate |
|---|---|---|
| March 13, 1877 - December 20, 1880 |
Richard W. Thompson | June 12, 1823 |
| January 7, 1881 - March 6, 1881 |
Nathan Goff, Jr. | October 9, 1843 |
| March 7, 1881 - April 16, 1882 |
William H. Hunt | June 12, 1823 |
| April 16, 1882 - March 6, 1885 |
William E. Chandler | Dec 28, 1835 |
| March 7, 1885 - March 5, 1889 |
William C. Whitney | July 5, 1841 |
| March 6, 1889 - March 6, 1893 |
Benjamin F. Tracy | April 26, 1830 |
| March 7, 1893 - March 6, 1897 |
Hilary A. Herbert | March 12, 1834 |
| March 6, 1897 - April 30, 1902 |
John D. Long | October 27, 1838 |
(1800) (1825) (1850) (1900) (1925) (1950) (1975) Return to top of page
| Office Year | Name | Birthdate |
|---|---|---|
| May 1, 1902 - June 30, 1904 |
William H. Moody | December 23, 1853 |
| July 1, 1904 - June 30, 1905 |
Paul Morton | 1857 |
| July 1, 1905 - December 16, 1906 |
Charles J. Bonaparte | June 9, 1851 |
| December 17, 1906 - November 30, 1908 |
Victor H. Metcalf | October 10, 1853 |
| December 1, 1908 - March 5, 1909 |
Truman H. Newberry | November 5, 1864 |
| March 6, 1909 - March 4, 1913 |
George von L. Meyer | January 24, 1858 |
| March 5, 1913 - March 5, 1921 |
Josephus Daniels | May 18, 1862 |
| March 6, 1921 - March 10, 1924 |
Edwin Denby | February 18, 1870 |
(1800) (1825) (1850) (1875) (1925) (1950) (1975) Return to top of page
| Office Year | Name | Birthdate |
|---|---|---|
| March 19, 1924 - March 4, 1929 |
Curtis D. Wilbur | May 10, 1867 |
| March 5, 1929 - March 4, 1933 |
Charles F. Adams | August 2, 1866 |
| March 4, 1933 - July 7, 1939 |
Claude A. Swanson | March 31, 1862 |
| January 2, 1940 - June 24, 1940 |
Charles Edison | August 3, 1890 |
| July 11, 1940 - April 28, 1944 |
Frank Knox | January 1, 1874 |
| May 19, 1944 - September 17, 1947 |
James Forrestal | February 15, 1892 |
| September 18, 1947 - May 24, 1949 |
John L. Sullivan | June 16, 1899 |
| May 25, 1949 - July 31, 1951 |
Francis P. Matthews | March 15, 1892 |
(1800) (1825) (1850) (1875) (1900) (1950) (1975) Return to top of page
| Office Year | Name | Birthdate |
|---|---|---|
| July 31, 1951 - January 20, 1953 |
Dan A. Kimball | March 1, 1896 |
| February 4, 1953 - May 3, 1954 |
Robert B. Anderson | June 4, 1910 |
| May 3, 1954 - April 1, 1957 |
Charles S. Thomas | September 28, 1897 |
| April 1, 1957 - June 8, 1959 |
Thomas S. Gates | April 10, 1906 |
| June 8, 1959 - January 19, 1961 |
William B. Franke | April 15, 1894 |
| January 25, 1961 - December 20, 1961 |
John B. Connally, Jr. | February 27, 1917 |
| January 4, 1962 - November 1, 1963 |
Fred Korth | September 9, 1909 |
| November 2, 1963 - November 28, 1963 |
Paul B. Fay (acting) | July 8, 1918 |
| November 29, 1963 - June 30, 1967 |
Paul H. Nitze | January 16, 1907 |
| July 1, 1967 - August 31, 1967 |
Charles F. Baird (acting) | September 4, 1922 |
| September 1, 1967 - January 24, 1969 |
Paul R. Ignatius | November 11, 1920 |
| January 31, 1969 - May 4, 1972 |
John H. Chafee | October 22, 1922 |
| May 4, 1972 - April 8, 1974 |
John H. Warner | February 18, 1927 |
| April 8, 1974 - January 20, 1977 |
J. William Middendorf | September 22, 1924 |
(1800) (1825) (1850) (1875) (1900) (1925) (1975) Return to top of page
| Office Year | Name | Birthdate |
|---|---|---|
| February 14, 1977 - August 24, 1979 |
W. Graham Claytor, Jr. | March 14, 1912 |
| October 24, 1979 - January 20, 1981 |
Edward Hidalgo | October 12, 1912 |
| February 5, 1981 - April 10, 1987 |
John Lehman | September 14, 1942 |
| May 1, 1987 - February 23, 1988 |
James H. Webb | February 9, 1946 |
| March 28, 1988 - May 15, 1989 |
William L. Ball | June 10, 1948 |
| May 15, 1989 - June 26, 1992 |
Henry L. Garrett III | June 24, 1939 |
| June 26, 1992 - July 7, 1992 |
Daniel Howard (acting) | — |
| Oct 2, 1992 - January 20, 1993 |
Sean O'Keefe | January 27, 1956 |
| January 2, 1993 - July 21, 1993 |
Adm Frank B. Kelso II (acting) | — |
| July 22, 1993 - November 16, 1998 |
John H. Dalton | December 13, 1941 |
| November 16, 1998 - January 20, 2001 |
Richard Danzig | 1944 |
| January 20, 2001 - May 24, 2001 |
Robert B. Pirie, Jr. (Acting) | September 10, 1933 |
| May 24, 2001 - January 24, 2003 |
Gordon R. England | September 15, 1937 |
| January 24, 2003 - February 7, 2003 |
Susan Morissey Livington (Acting) | — |
| February 7, 2003 - October 1, 2003 |
Hanford T. Johnson (Acting) | — |
| October 1, 2003 - December 28, 2005 |
Gordon R. England | September 15, 1937 |
| January 3, 2006 - March 13, 2009 |
Donald C. Winter | — |
| March 13, 2009 - May 19, 2009 |
B.J. Penn (Acting) | — |
| May 19, 2009 - Present |
Ray Mabus | — |
(1800) (1825) (1850) (1875) (1900) (1925) (1950) Return to top of page