United States Secretary of Transportation facts for kids
Quick facts for kids United States Secretary of Transportation |
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![]() Flag of the secretary
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![]() Seal of the Department of Transportation
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United States Department of Transportation | |
Style | Mr. Secretary (informal) The Honorable (formal) |
Member of | the United States Cabinet |
Reports to | President of the United States |
Seat | Washington, D.C. |
Appointer | President of the United States
with Senate advice and consent
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Term length | No fixed term |
Constituting instrument | 49 U.S.C. § 102 |
Formation | October 15, 1966 |
First holder | Alan Stephenson Boyd |
Succession | Fourteenth |
Deputy | Deputy Secretary of Transportation |
Salary | Executive Schedule, Level I |
The United States Secretary of Transportation is a very important job in the U.S. government. This person leads the United States Department of Transportation. They are the main helper and advisor to the President of the United States on all things about transportation.
This means they help make sure our country's roads, trains, planes, and ships work well. The Secretary is also part of the Cabinet of the United States. This is a group of top advisors to the President. The Secretary is also 14th in line to become President if something happens to the President and Vice President.
The Secretary of Transportation manages a huge department. It has over 55,000 employees! It also includes 13 different agencies. Some of these are the Federal Aviation Administration (for planes) and the Federal Highway Administration (for roads). The Secretary earns a good salary for this big responsibility.
Currently, Sean Duffy is the 20th Secretary of Transportation. He started his job on January 28, 2025. President Donald Trump chose him for this role. The United States Senate then voted to approve him.
Contents
What is the History of the Secretary of Transportation?
The job of Secretary of Transportation was created on October 15, 1966. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a law to make this happen. The main goal of the department is to create a good transportation system. This system should be efficient and save money. It also needs to consider our country's needs, the environment, and national defense.
Who Were the First Secretaries?
The very first Secretary of Transportation was Alan S. Boyd. He was chosen by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Later, Elizabeth Dole became the first woman to hold this job. This was during President Ronald Reagan's time. Mary Peters was the second woman to serve.
William Thaddeus Coleman Jr. was the first African American Secretary. He served under President Gerald Ford. Federico Peña was the first Hispanic person to hold the position. He worked for President Bill Clinton.
Who Served the Longest and Shortest?
Norman Mineta, who is Japanese-American, served the longest. He was Secretary for over five and a half years. On the other hand, Andrew Card served the shortest time, only eleven months.
Who Was the Youngest Secretary?
Pete Buttigieg became the youngest Secretary. He was 39 years and 15 days old when he started. This made him younger than Neil Goldschmidt, who was 39 years and 3 months old. Norman Mineta was the oldest when he retired at age 74.
In 2008, Secretary Mary Peters started an official blog. It was called The Fast Lane. This blog shared news and updates from the department.
Recent Secretaries of Transportation
Ray LaHood became the 16th Secretary in 2009. He served under President Barack Obama. Before this, he was a Republican congressman. Anthony Foxx was the 17th Secretary, also serving under President Obama.
Elaine Chao was chosen by President Donald Trump in 2016. She had also been the United States Secretary of Labor before. She resigned in January 2021. After her, several people served as acting secretaries for short periods. Pete Buttigieg was the 19th Secretary. He served during President Joe Biden's time.
List of Secretaries of Transportation
This table shows all the people who have served as the Secretary of Transportation. It also shows which President they served under.
Democratic (8) Republican (12)
- Status
Denotes acting Secretary of Transportation
No. | Portrait | Secretary | State of residence | Took office | Left office | President | |
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1 | ![]() |
Alan S. Boyd | Florida | January 16, 1967 | January 20, 1969 | Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969) |
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2 | ![]() |
John Volpe | Massachusetts | January 22, 1969 | February 2, 1973 | Richard Nixon (1969–1974) |
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3 | ![]() |
Claude Brinegar | California | February 2, 1973 | February 1, 1975 | ||
Gerald Ford (1974–1977) |
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4 | ![]() |
William Thaddeus Coleman Jr. | Pennsylvania | March 7, 1975 | January 20, 1977 | ||
5 | ![]() |
Brock Adams | Washington | January 23, 1977 | July 20, 1979 | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
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6 | ![]() |
Neil Goldschmidt | Oregon | September 24, 1979 | January 20, 1981 | ||
7 | ![]() |
Drew Lewis | Pennsylvania | January 23, 1981 | February 1, 1983 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
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8 | ![]() |
Elizabeth Dole | Kansas | February 7, 1983 | September 30, 1987 | ||
9 | ![]() |
James H. Burnley IV | North Carolina | December 3, 1987 | January 20, 1989 | ||
10 | ![]() |
Samuel K. Skinner | Illinois | February 6, 1989 | December 13, 1991 | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
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11 | ![]() |
Andrew Card | Massachusetts | February 24, 1992 | January 20, 1993 | ||
12 | ![]() |
Federico Peña | Colorado | January 21, 1993 | February 14, 1997 | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
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13 | ![]() |
Rodney E. Slater | Arkansas | February 14, 1997 | January 20, 2001 | ||
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Mortimer L. Downey III Acting |
Virginia | January 20, 2001 | January 25, 2001 | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
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14 | ![]() |
Norman Mineta | California | January 25, 2001 | August 7, 2006 | ||
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Maria Cino Acting |
New York | August 7, 2006 | October 17, 2006 | ||
15 | ![]() |
Mary E. Peters | Arizona | October 17, 2006 | January 20, 2009 | ||
16 | ![]() |
Ray LaHood | Illinois | January 23, 2009 | July 2, 2013 | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
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17 | ![]() |
Anthony Foxx | North Carolina | July 2, 2013 | January 20, 2017 | ||
– | ![]() |
Michael Huerta Acting |
California | January 20, 2017 | January 31, 2017 | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
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18 | ![]() |
Elaine Chao | Kentucky | January 31, 2017 | January 11, 2021 | ||
– | ![]() |
Steven G. Bradbury Acting |
Oregon | January 12, 2021 | January 20, 2021 | ||
– | ![]() |
Lana Hurdle Acting |
Virginia | January 20, 2021 | February 3, 2021 | Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
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19 | ![]() |
Pete Buttigieg | Indiana | February 3, 2021 | January 20, 2025 | ||
– | ![]() |
Judith Kaleta Acting |
Illinois | January 20, 2025 | January 28, 2025 | Donald Trump (2025–present) |
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20 | ![]() |
Sean Duffy | Wisconsin | January 28, 2025 | present |
Who Takes Over if the Secretary Can't Serve?
There is a special order of people who would take over if the Secretary of Transportation cannot do their job. This is called the line of succession. It makes sure that someone is always in charge of transportation.
Here are the top people in line:
- The Deputy Secretary of Transportation
- The Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy
- The General Counsel (the department's main lawyer)
- The Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs
- The Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy
See also
In Spanish: Secretario de Transporte de los Estados Unidos para niños