United States Secretary of the Navy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Secretary of the Navy |
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![]() Seal of the Department of the Navy
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Department of the Navy | |
Style | Mister Secretary The Honorable (formally) |
Abbreviation | SECNAV |
Reports to | Secretary of Defense Deputy Secretary of Defense |
Appointer | The President,
with Senate advice and consent
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Constituting instrument | 10 U.S.C. § 8013 |
Formation | 18 June 1798 |
First holder | Benjamin Stoddert |
Succession | 3rd in SecDef succession |
Deputy | The Under Secretary (Principal Civilian Deputy) Chief of Naval Operations (Navy Advisor and Deputy) The Commandant (Marine Corps Advisor and Deputy) |
Salary | Executive Schedule, level II |
The Secretary of the Navy (often called SECNAV) is a very important leader in the United States Department of the Navy. This department is a part of the United States Department of Defense. The SECNAV is like the chief executive officer for the Navy.
By law, the person who holds this job must be a civilian. This means they cannot be an active military member. They must have been out of active military service for at least five years. The President chooses the Secretary of the Navy. Then, the Senate must approve this choice.
From 1798 until 1949, the Secretary of the Navy was a member of the President's top team, called the Cabinet. After 1949, the role changed. The Secretary of the Navy, along with the Secretaries of the Army and Air Force, began reporting to the Secretary of Defense.
On August 7, 2021, Carlos Del Toro became the Secretary of the Navy.
Contents
The Department of the Navy includes two main military branches: the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. The Secretary of the Navy is in charge of both. They have the power to "conduct all the affairs of the Department of the Navy." This means they oversee almost everything the Navy and Marine Corps do.
The SECNAV's job includes many important tasks. They are responsible for finding new recruits and organizing the forces. They also make sure the Navy and Marine Corps have all the supplies and equipment they need. Training, mobilizing (getting ready for action), and demobilizing (standing down) are also their responsibilities.
The Secretary also watches over the building and repair of naval ships and facilities. They create and carry out plans that match the country's security goals. These goals are set by the President or the Secretary of Defense.
The SECNAV is part of the Defense Acquisition Board. This group helps decide what military equipment to buy. The Secretary also has duties related to military justice. They can approve military court cases and change sentences for Navy and Marine Corps members.
The main military advisors to the SECNAV are the leaders of the Navy and Marine Corps. For the Navy, it's the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO). For the Marine Corps, it's the Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC). These leaders help the SECNAV carry out orders within their branches.
The United States Navy Regulations are the main rulebook for the Department of the Navy. Any changes to these rules must be approved by the Secretary of the Navy.
Role with the U.S. Coast Guard
Sometimes, the United States Coast Guard works as part of the Department of the Navy. When this happens, the Secretary of the Navy has the same duties for the Coast Guard as the Secretary of Homeland Security normally does.
The Office of the Secretary of the Navy is the team that helps the Secretary do their job. It's also known as the Navy Secretariat. Key people in this office include the Under Secretary of the Navy, who is the Secretary's main civilian helper. There are also Assistant Secretaries, the legal advisor, and the chief lawyer.
Other important roles include the Naval Inspector General, who checks how things are run. The Chief of Legislative Affairs works with Congress. The Chief of Naval Research looks into new technologies. This office is in charge of buying things, checking finances, and handling public and legislative matters for the Navy.
The Secretary of the Navy also recognizes commands each year for their work in protecting the environment. This includes efforts in environmental quality, cleanup, natural resources, and preventing pollution.
The Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant of the Marine Corps have their own separate teams. These are called the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV) and Headquarters Marine Corps.
Denotes acting secretaries
Early Leaders: Continental Congress
Before the official Secretary of the Navy role, there were committees and agents.
Position | Portrait | Name | Term of office |
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Chairman of the Marine Committee | ![]() |
John Adams | October 13, 1775 – 1779 |
Member of the Marine Committee | ![]() |
John Langdon | October 13, 1775–? |
Member of the Marine Committee | ![]() |
Silas Deane | October 13, 1775–? |
Member of the Marine Committee | ![]() |
Joseph Hewes | 1775 |
Continental Navy Board (under Marine Committee) |
November 6, 1776 – October 28, 1779 | ||
Chairman of the Continental Board of Admiralty | ![]() |
Francis Lewis | December 1779 – 1780 |
Secretary of Marine | ![]() |
Alexander McDougall | February 7, 1781 – August 29, 1781 |
Agent of Marine | ![]() |
Robert Morris | August 29, 1781 – 1784 |
(The job of Secretary of Marine was created but stayed empty for a while.)
Secretaries from 1798–1949
Denotes an Acting United States Secretary of the Navy
No. | Portrait | Name | State | Start | End | President(s) | |
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1 | ![]() |
Benjamin Stoddert | Maryland | June 18, 1798 | March 31, 1801 | John Adams (1797–1801) |
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Thomas Jefferson (1801–1809) |
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2 | ![]() |
Robert Smith | Maryland | July 27, 1801 | March 4, 1809 | ||
3 | ![]() |
Paul Hamilton | South Carolina | May 15, 1809 | December 31, 1812 | James Madison (1809–1817) |
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4 | ![]() |
William Jones | Pennsylvania | January 19, 1813 | December 1, 1814 | ||
5 | ![]() |
Benjamin Crowninshield | Massachusetts | January 16, 1815 | September 30, 1818 | ||
James Monroe (1817–1825) |
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6 | ![]() |
Smith Thompson | New York | January 1, 1819 | August 31, 1823 | ||
7 | ![]() |
Samuel L. Southard | New Jersey | September 16, 1823 | March 4, 1829 | ||
John Quincy Adams (1825–1829) |
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8 | ![]() |
John Branch | North Carolina | March 9, 1829 | May 12, 1831 | Andrew Jackson (1829–1837) |
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9 | ![]() |
Levi Woodbury | New Hampshire | May 23, 1831 | June 30, 1834 | ||
10 | ![]() |
Mahlon Dickerson | New Jersey | July 1, 1834 | June 30, 1838 | ||
Martin Van Buren (1837–1841) |
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11 | ![]() |
James K. Paulding | New York | July 1, 1838 | March 4, 1841 | ||
12 | ![]() |
George E. Badger | North Carolina | March 6, 1841 | September 11, 1841 | William Henry Harrison (1841) |
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John Tyler (1841–1845) |
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13 | ![]() |
Abel P. Upshur | Virginia | October 11, 1841 | July 23, 1843 | ||
14 | ![]() |
David Henshaw | Massachusetts | July 24, 1843 | February 18, 1844 | ||
15 | ![]() |
Thomas W. Gilmer | Virginia | February 19, 1844 | February 28, 1844 | ||
16 | ![]() |
John Y. Mason | Virginia | March 26, 1844 | March 4, 1845 | ||
17 | ![]() |
George Bancroft | Massachusetts | March 11, 1845 | September 9, 1846 | James K. Polk (1845–1849) |
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18 | ![]() |
John Y. Mason | Virginia | September 10, 1846 | March 4, 1849 | ||
19 | ![]() |
William B. Preston | Virginia | March 8, 1849 | July 22, 1850 | Zachary Taylor (1849–1850) |
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20 | ![]() |
William Graham | North Carolina | August 2, 1850 | July 25, 1852 | Millard Fillmore (1850–1853) |
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21 | ![]() |
John P. Kennedy | Maryland | July 26, 1852 | March 4, 1853 | ||
22 | ![]() |
James C. Dobbin | North Carolina | March 8, 1853 | March 4, 1857 | Franklin Pierce (1853–1857) |
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23 | ![]() |
Isaac Toucey | Connecticut | March 7, 1857 | March 4, 1861 | James Buchanan (1857–1861) |
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24 | ![]() |
Gideon Welles | Connecticut | March 7, 1861 | March 4, 1869 | Abraham Lincoln (1861–1865) |
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Andrew Johnson (1865–1869) |
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25 | ![]() |
Adolph E. Borie | Pennsylvania | March 9, 1869 | June 25, 1869 | Ulysses S. Grant (1869–1877) |
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26 | ![]() |
George M. Robeson | New Jersey | June 26, 1869 | March 4, 1877 | ||
Acting | ![]() |
William Faxon | March 4, 1877 | March 13, 1877 | Rutherford B. Hayes (1877–1881) |
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27 | ![]() |
Richard W. Thompson | Indiana | March 13, 1877 | December 20, 1880 | ||
28 | ![]() |
Nathan Goff Jr. | West Virginia | January 7, 1881 | March 4, 1881 | ||
29 | ![]() |
William H. Hunt | Louisiana | March 7, 1881 | April 16, 1882 | James A. Garfield (1881) |
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Chester A. Arthur (1881–1885) |
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30 | ![]() |
William E. Chandler | New Hampshire | April 16, 1882 | March 4, 1885 | ||
31 | ![]() |
William C. Whitney | New York | March 7, 1885 | March 4, 1889 | Grover Cleveland (1885–1889) |
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32 | ![]() |
Benjamin F. Tracy | New York | March 6, 1889 | March 4, 1893 | Benjamin Harrison (1889–1893) |
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33 | ![]() |
Hilary A. Herbert | Alabama | March 7, 1893 | March 4, 1897 | Grover Cleveland (1893–1897) |
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34 | ![]() |
John Davis Long | Massachusetts | March 6, 1897 | April 30, 1902 | William McKinley (1897–1901) |
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Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909) |
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35 | ![]() |
William Moody | Massachusetts | May 1, 1902 | June 30, 1904 | ||
36 | ![]() |
Paul Morton | Illinois | July 1, 1904 | June 30, 1905 | ||
37 | ![]() |
Charles Bonaparte | Maryland | July 1, 1905 | December 16, 1906 | ||
38 | ![]() |
Victor H. Metcalf | California | December 17, 1906 | November 30, 1908 | ||
39 | ![]() |
Truman Handy Newberry | Michigan | December 1, 1908 | March 4, 1909 | ||
40 | ![]() |
George von Lengerke Meyer | Massachusetts | March 6, 1909 | March 4, 1913 | William Howard Taft (1909–1913) |
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41 | ![]() |
Josephus Daniels | North Carolina | March 5, 1913 | March 4, 1921 | Woodrow Wilson (1913–1921) |
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42 | ![]() |
Edwin Denby | Michigan | March 6, 1921 | March 10, 1924 | Warren G. Harding (1921–1923) |
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Calvin Coolidge (1923–1929) |
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Acting | ![]() |
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. | March 10, 1924 | March 19, 1924 | |||
43 | ![]() |
Curtis D. Wilbur | California | March 19, 1924 | March 4, 1929 | ||
44 | ![]() |
Charles Francis Adams III | Massachusetts | March 5, 1929 | March 4, 1933 | Herbert Hoover (1929–1933) |
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45 | ![]() |
Claude A. Swanson | Virginia | March 4, 1933 | July 7, 1939 | Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945) |
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46 | ![]() |
Charles Edison | New Jersey | July 7, 1939 | January 2, 1940 | ||
January 2, 1940 | June 24, 1940 | ||||||
Acting | ![]() |
Lewis Compton | June 24, 1940 | July 11, 1940 | |||
47 | ![]() |
Frank Knox | Illinois | July 11, 1940 | April 28, 1944 | ||
Acting | ![]() |
Ralph Austin Bard | April 28, 1944 | May 19, 1944 | |||
48 | ![]() |
James Forrestal | New York | May 19, 1944 | September 17, 1947 | ||
Harry S. Truman (1945–1953) |
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49 | ![]() |
John Sullivan | New Hampshire | September 18, 1947 | May 24, 1949 | ||
50 | ![]() |
Francis P. Matthews | Nebraska | May 25, 1949 | August 10, 1949 |
Secretaries from 1949–Present
Denotes an Acting United States Secretary of the Navy
No. | Portrait | Name | Term of office | President(s) | |||
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Start | End | Duration | |||||
50 | ![]() |
Francis P. Matthews | August 10, 1949 | July 31, 1951 | 797 | Harry S. Truman (1945–1953) |
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51 | ![]() |
Dan A. Kimball | July 31, 1951 | January 20, 1953 | 539 | ||
52 | ![]() |
Robert Anderson | February 4, 1953 | March 3, 1954 | 392 | Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961) |
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53 | ![]() |
Charles Thomas | May 3, 1954 | April 1, 1957 | 1064 | ||
54 | ![]() |
Thomas S. Gates Jr. | April 1, 1957 | June 8, 1959 | 798 | ||
55 | ![]() |
William B. Franke | June 8, 1959 | January 19, 1961 | 591 | ||
56 | ![]() |
John Connally | January 25, 1961 | December 20, 1961 | 329 | John F. Kennedy (1961–1963) |
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57 | ![]() |
Fred Korth | January 4, 1962 | November 1, 1963 | 666 | ||
Acting | ![]() |
Paul B. Fay | November 2, 1963 | November 28, 1963 | 26 | ||
Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969) |
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58 | ![]() |
Paul Nitze | November 29, 1963 | June 30, 1967 | 1309 | ||
Acting | Charles F. Baird | July 1, 1967 | August 31, 1967 | 61 | |||
59 | ![]() |
Paul Ignatius | September 1, 1967 | January 24, 1969 | 511 | ||
Richard Nixon (1969–1974) |
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60 | ![]() |
John Chafee | January 31, 1969 | May 4, 1972 | 1189 | ||
61 | ![]() |
John Warner | May 4, 1972 | April 8, 1974 | 704 | ||
62 | ![]() |
J. William Middendorf | April 8, 1974 | January 20, 1977 | 1018 | ||
Gerald Ford (1974–1977) |
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63 | ![]() |
W. Graham Claytor Jr. | February 14, 1977 | August 24, 1979 | 921 | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
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64 | ![]() |
Edward Hidalgo | October 24, 1979 | January 20, 1981 | 454 | ||
65 | John Lehman | February 5, 1981 | April 10, 1987 | 2255 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
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66 | Jim Webb | May 1, 1987 | February 23, 1988 | 298 | |||
67 | ![]() |
William L. Ball | March 28, 1988 | May 15, 1989 | 413 | ||
George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
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68 | ![]() |
Henry L. Garrett III | May 15, 1989 | June 26, 1992 | 1138 | ||
Acting | ![]() |
Daniel Howard | June 26, 1992 | July 7, 1992 | 11 | ||
69 | ![]() |
Sean O'Keefe | July 7, 1992 | October 2, 1992 | 87 | ||
October 2, 1992 | January 20, 1993 | 110 | |||||
Acting | Frank Kelso | January 20, 1993 | July 21, 1993 | 182 | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
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70 | ![]() |
John H. Dalton | July 22, 1993 | November 16, 1998 | 1943 | ||
71 | ![]() |
Richard Danzig | November 16, 1998 | January 20, 2001 | 796 | ||
Acting | ![]() |
Robert B. Pirie Jr. | January 20, 2001 | May 24, 2001 | 124 | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
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72 | ![]() |
Gordon R. England | May 24, 2001 | January 30, 2003 | 616 | ||
Acting | ![]() |
Susan Livingstone | January 30, 2003 | February 7, 2003 | 8 | ||
Acting | ![]() |
Hansford T. Johnson | February 7, 2003 | September 30, 2003 | 235 | ||
73 | ![]() |
Gordon R. England | October 1, 2003 | December 29, 2005 | 820 | ||
Acting | ![]() |
Dionel M. Aviles | December 29, 2005 | January 3, 2006 | 5 | ||
74 | ![]() |
Donald C. Winter | January 3, 2006 | March 13, 2009 | 1165 | ||
Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
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Acting | ![]() |
B. J. Penn | March 13, 2009 | May 19, 2009 | 67 | ||
75 | ![]() |
Ray Mabus | May 19, 2009 | January 20, 2017 | 2803 | ||
Acting | ![]() |
Sean Stackley | January 20, 2017 | August 3, 2017 | 195 | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
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76 | ![]() |
Richard V. Spencer | August 3, 2017 | July 15, 2019 | 711 | ||
Acting | ![]() |
Thomas Modly | July 15, 2019 | July 31, 2019 | 16 | ||
76 | ![]() |
Richard V. Spencer | July 31, 2019 | November 24, 2019 | 116 | ||
Acting | ![]() |
Thomas Modly | November 24, 2019 | April 7, 2020 | 135 | ||
Acting | ![]() |
James E. McPherson | April 7, 2020 | May 29, 2020 | 52 | ||
77 | ![]() |
Kenneth Braithwaite | May 29, 2020 | January 20, 2021 | 236 | ||
Acting | ![]() |
Thomas Harker | January 20, 2021 | August 9, 2021 | 201 | Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
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78 | ![]() |
Carlos Del Toro | August 9, 2021 | January 20, 2025 | 1260 | ||
Acting | ![]() |
Terence Emmert | January 20, 2025 | Present | Donald Trump (2025–present) |
See Also
- Military awards of the United States Department of the Navy
- Secretary of the Navy Council of Review Boards
- Stephen Mallory, the only Secretary of the Navy of the Confederate States of America