United States Secretary of Commerce

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United States Secretary of Commerce
Seal of the Department
Flag of the Secretary
Incumbent
Wilbur Ross
since February 28, 2017
United States Department of Commerce
StyleMr. Secretary
Member ofCabinet
Reports toPresident of the United States
SeatHerbert C. Hoover Building, Washington, D.C.
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Term lengthNo fixed term
Constituting instrument15 U.S.C. § 1501
PrecursorSecretary of Commerce and Labor
FormationMarch 15, 1913; 111 years ago (1913-03-15)
First holderWilliam Cox Redfield
SuccessionTenth[1]
DeputyDeputy Secretary of Commerce
SalaryExecutive Schedule, level I
WebsiteCommerce.gov
The Commerce Secretary's office as it looked in the mid-20th century.

The United States Secretary of Commerce (SecCom) is the head of the United States Department of Commerce. The secretary is appointed by the president of the United States with the advice and consent of the United States Senate and serves in the president's Cabinet. The secretary is concerned with promoting American businesses and industries; the department states its mission to be "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce".[2]

Until 1913, there was one secretary of commerce and labor, uniting this department with the Department of Labor, which is now headed by a separate secretary of labor.[3]

The current commerce secretary is Wilbur Ross, who was nominated by President Donald Trump and approved by the Senate on February 28, 2017.

List of secretaries of commerce

Parties

  No party (1)   Democratic (20)   Republican (18)

Status
  Denotes acting commerce secretary
No. Portrait Name State of Residence Took Office Left Office President(s)
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |1 William C. Redfield New York March 5, 1913 October 31, 1919 rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Woodrow Wilson
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |2 Joshua W. Alexander Missouri December 16, 1919 March 4, 1921
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |3 Herbert Hoover California March 5, 1921 August 21, 1928 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Warren G. Harding
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Calvin Coolidge
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |4 William F. Whiting Massachusetts August 22, 1928 March 4, 1929
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |5 Robert P. Lamont Illinois March 5, 1929 August 7, 1932 rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Herbert C. Hoover
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |6 Roy D. Chapin Michigan August 8, 1932 March 3, 1933
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |7 Daniel C. Roper South Carolina March 4, 1933 December 23, 1938 rowspan=4 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Franklin D. Roosevelt
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |8 Harry Hopkins New York December 24, 1938 September 18, 1940
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |9 Jesse H. Jones Texas September 19, 1940 March 1, 1945
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |10 Henry A. Wallace Iowa March 2, 1945 September 20, 1946
rowspan=4 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Harry S. Truman
– Alfred Schindler
Acting 		September 20, 1946 October 7, 1946
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |11 W. Averell Harriman New York October 7, 1946 April 22, 1948
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |12 Charles W. Sawyer Ohio May 6, 1948 January 20, 1953
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |13 Sinclair Weeks Massachusetts January 21, 1953 November 10, 1958 rowspan=4 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Dwight D. Eisenhower
– Lewis Strauss
Acting 		West Virginia November 13, 1958 June 30, 1959
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |14 Frederick H. Mueller Michigan June 30, 1959 August 10, 1959
August 10, 1959 January 19, 1961
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |15 Luther H. Hodges North Carolina January 21, 1961 January 15, 1965 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" | John F. Kennedy
rowspan=5 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Lyndon B. Johnson
16 John T. Connor New Jersey January 18, 1965 January 31, 1967
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |17 Alexander Trowbridge New York January 31, 1967 June 14, 1967
June 14, 1967 March 1, 1968
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |18 C. R. Smith New York March 6, 1968 January 19, 1969
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |19 Maurice Stans New York January 21, 1969 February 15, 1972 rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Richard Nixon
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |20 Peter George Peterson Illinois February 29, 1972 February 1, 1973
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |21 Frederick B. Dent South Carolina February 2, 1973 March 26, 1975
rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Gerald Ford
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |22 Rogers Morton Maryland May 1, 1975 February 2, 1976
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |23 Elliot Richardson Massachusetts February 2, 1976 January 20, 1977
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |24 Juanita M. Kreps North Carolina January 23, 1977 October 31, 1979 rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Jimmy Carter
– Luther H. Hodges, Jr.
Acting 		North Carolina October 31, 1979 January 9, 1980
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |25 Philip Klutznick Illinois January 9, 1980 January 20, 1981
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |26 Malcolm Baldrige, Jr. Connecticut January 20, 1981 July 25, 1987 rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Ronald Reagan
– Bud Brown
Acting 		Ohio July 25, 1987 October 19, 1987
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |27 William Verity, Jr. Ohio October 19, 1987 January 30, 1989
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |28 Robert Mosbacher Texas January 31, 1989 January 15, 1992 rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | George H. W. Bush
– Rockwell A. Schnabel
Acting 		California January 15, 1992 February 27, 1992
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |29 Barbara Franklin Pennsylvania February 27, 1992 January 20, 1993
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |30 Ron Brown New York January 20, 1993 April 3, 1996 rowspan=6 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Bill Clinton
– Mary L. Good
Acting 		Texas April 3, 1996 April 12, 1996
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |31 Mickey Kantor Tennessee April 12, 1996 January 21, 1997
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |32 William M. Daley Illinois January 30, 1997 July 19, 2000
– Robert L. Mallett
Acting 		July 19, 2000 July 21, 2000
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |33 Norman Mineta California July 21, 2000 January 20, 2001
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |34 Donald Evans Texas January 20, 2001 February 7, 2005 rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | George W. Bush
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |35 Carlos Gutierrez Florida February 7, 2005 January 20, 2009
– Otto J. Wolff
Acting 		January 20, 2009 March 26, 2009 rowspan=7 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Barack Obama
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |36 Gary Locke Washington March 26, 2009 August 1, 2011
– Rebecca Blank
Acting 		Minnesota August 1, 2011 October 21, 2011
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |37 John Bryson New York October 21, 2011 June 11, 2012
– Rebecca Blank
Acting 		Minnesota June 11, 2012 June 1, 2013
– Cameron Kerry
Acting 		Massachusetts June 1, 2013 June 26, 2013
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |38 Penny Pritzker Illinois June 26, 2013 January 20, 2017
– Vacant January 20, 2017 February 28, 2017 rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Donald Trump
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |39 Wilbur Ross Florida February 28, 2017 Incumbent

Source: Department of Commerce: Secretaries

Living former secretaries of commerce

See also: List of living former members of the United States Cabinet

As of May 2024, there are nine living former secretaries of commerce (with all secretaries that have served since 1996 still living), the oldest being Norman Mineta (served 2000–2001, born 1931). The most recent secretary of commerce to die was Frederick B. Dent (served 1973–1975, born 1922), on December 10, 2019. The most recently serving secretary to die was Ron Brown (1993–1996, born 1941), who died in office on April 3, 1996.

Name Term of office Date of birth (and age)
Barbara H. Franklin 1992–1993 (1940-03-04) March 4, 1940 (age 84)
Mickey Kantor 1996–1997 (1939-08-07) August 7, 1939 (age 84)
William M. Daley 1997–2000 (1948-08-09) August 9, 1948 (age 75)
Norman Mineta 2000–2001 (1931-11-12) November 12, 1931 (age 92)
Donald Evans 2001–2005 (1946-07-27) July 27, 1946 (age 77)
Carlos Gutierrez 2005–2009 (1953-11-04) November 4, 1953 (age 70)
Gary F. Locke 2009–2011 (1950-01-21) January 21, 1950 (age 74)
John Bryson 2011–2012 (1943-07-24) July 24, 1943 (age 80)
Penny Pritzker 2013–2017 (1959-05-02) May 2, 1959 (age 65)

Line of succession

The line of succession for the secretary of commerce is as follows:[4]

  1. Deputy Secretary of Commerce
  2. General Counsel of the Department of Commerce
  3. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade
  4. Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs
  5. Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology
  6. Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  7. Under Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration
  8. Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Commerce and Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Administration
  9. Boulder Laboratories Site Manager, National Institute of Standards and Technology

References

  1. ^ https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/3/19
  2. ^ "US Department of Commerce, Directives Management Program". Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2007.
  3. ^ "Milestones". U.S. Department of Commerce. Archived from the original on October 15, 2011. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  4. ^ "Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Commerce". federalregister.gov. Retrieved October 29, 2016.

External links

U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Secretary of Agriculture Order of Precedence of the United States
as Secretary of the Treasury 		Succeeded byas Secretary of Labor
U.S. presidential line of succession
Preceded by 10th in line Succeeded by
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