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United States Secretary of Education

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"Secretary of education" redirects here. For other uses, see Secretary of Education.
Secretary of Education of the United States of America
Seal of the Department of Education
Flag of the Secretary of Education
Incumbent
Betsy DeVos
since February 7, 2017
United States Department of Education
StyleMadam Secretary
Reports toPresident
SeatWashington, D.C.
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Constituting instrument20 U.S.C. § 3411
FormationNovember 30, 1979; 44 years ago (1979-11-30)
First holderShirley Hufstedler
SuccessionSixteenth[1]
DeputyDeputy Secretary of Education
SalaryExecutive Schedule, Level 1
Websitewww2.ed.gov
This article is part of a series on
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United States
Summary
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The United States Secretary of Education is the head of the United States Department of Education. The Secretary advises the President on federal policies, programs, and activities related to education in the United States. As a member of the President's Executive Cabinet, this Secretary is fifteenth in the line of succession to the presidency.

The current Education Secretary is Betsy DeVos, who was nominated by President Donald Trump and approved by the Senate on February 7, 2017.

Function

The United States Secretary of Education is a member of the President's Cabinet and is the fifteenth in the United States presidential line of succession.[2] This Secretary deals with federal influence over education policy, and heads the United States Department of Education.[3]

The Secretary is advised by the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, an advisory committee, on "matters related to accreditation and to the eligibility and certification process for institutions of higher education."[4]

List of Secretaries

Prior to the creation of the Department of Education in 1979, Education was part of the ambit of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

Parties

  Democratic   Republican

Status
  Denotes an Acting Secretary of Education

List of Secretaries of Health, Education, and Welfare

No. Portrait Name State of residence Took office Left office President
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |1 Oveta Culp Hobby Texas April 11, 1953 July 31, 1955 rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Dwight D. Eisenhower
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |2 Marion B. Folsom New York August 2, 1955 July 31, 1958
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |3 Arthur S. Flemming Ohio August 1, 1958 January 19, 1961
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |4 Abraham A. Ribicoff Connecticut January 21, 1961 July 13, 1962 rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" | John F. Kennedy
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |5 Anthony J. Celebrezze Ohio July 31, 1962 August 17, 1965
rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Lyndon B. Johnson
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |6 John W. Gardner California August 18, 1965 March 1, 1968
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |7 Wilbur J. Cohen Michigan May 16, 1968 January 20, 1969
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |8 Robert H. Finch California January 21, 1969 June 23, 1970 rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Richard Nixon
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |9 Elliot L. Richardson Massachusetts June 24, 1970 January 29, 1973
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |10 Caspar W. Weinberger California February 12, 1973 August 8, 1975
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Gerald Ford
style="background: Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color;" |11 F. David Mathews Alabama August 8, 1975 January 20, 1977
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |12 Joseph A. Califano Jr. District of Columbia January 25, 1977 August 3, 1979 rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Jimmy Carter
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |13 Patricia Roberts Harris District of Columbia August 3, 1979 May 4, 1980[5]

List of Secretaries of Education

No. Portrait name State of Residence Took Office Left Office President
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |1 Shirley Hufstedler California November 30, 1979 January 20, 1981 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Jimmy Carter
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |2 Terrel Bell Utah January 22, 1981 January 20, 1985 rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Ronald Reagan
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" | William Bennett New York February 6, 1985 September 20, 1988
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |3
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |4 Lauro Cavazos Texas September 20, 1988 December 12, 1990
rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | George H. W. Bush
– Ted Sanders
Acting 		Illinois December 12, 1990 March 22, 1991
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |5 Lamar Alexander Tennessee March 22, 1991 January 20, 1993
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |6 Richard Riley South Carolina January 21, 1993 January 20, 2001 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Bill Clinton
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |7 Rod Paige Texas January 20, 2001 January 20, 2005 rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | George W. Bush
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |8 Margaret Spellings January 20, 2005 January 20, 2009
style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |9 Arne Duncan[6] Illinois January 21, 2009 January 1, 2016 rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Barack Obama
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;" |10 John King Jr.[6] New York January 1, 2016 March 14, 2016
March 14, 2016 January 20, 2017
– Phil Rosenfelt
Acting 		Virginia January 20, 2017 February 7, 2017 rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" | Donald Trump
style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;" |11 Betsy DeVos Michigan February 7, 2017 Incumbent

Living former Secretaries

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

As of September 2024, there are eight living former Secretaries of Education (with all Secretaries that have served since 1985 still living), the oldest being Lauro Cavazos (served 1988–1990, born 1927).[citation needed] The most recent Secretary of Education to die was Shirley Hufstedler (served 1979–1981, born 1925) on March 30, 2016.[citation needed] The most recently serving Secretary to die was Terrel Bell (served 1981–1985, born 1921) on June 22, 1996.

Name Term Date of birth (and age)
William Bennett 1985–1988 (1943-07-31) July 31, 1943 (age 81)
Lauro Cavazos 1988–1990 (1927-01-04) January 4, 1927 (age 97)
Lamar Alexander 1990-1993 (1940-07-06) July 6, 1940 (age 84)
Richard Riley 1993–2001 (1933-01-02) January 2, 1933 (age 91)
Rod Paige 2001–2005 (1933-06-17) June 17, 1933 (age 91)
Margaret Spellings 2005–2009 (1957-11-30) November 30, 1957 (age 66)
Arne Duncan[6] 2009–2015 (1964-11-06) November 6, 1964 (age 59)
John King Jr. 2016–2017 1975 (age 48–49)

References

  1. ^ https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/3/19
  2. ^ Wilson, Reid (October 20, 2013). "The Presidential order of succession". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  3. ^ "US Department of Education Principal Office Functional Statements". United States Department of Education. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  4. ^ NACIQI Staff (November 23, 2016). "Welcome". Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI). Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  5. ^ Harris was Secretary on May 4, 1980, when the office changed names from Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to Secretary of Health and Human Services. Because the department merely changed names, she did not need to be confirmed again, and her term continued uninterrupted.
  6. ^ a b c Eilperin, Juliet; Layton, Lyndsey; Brown, Emma (October 2, 2015). "U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan to step down at end of year". Washington Post. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Secretary of Energy Order of Precedence of the United States
as Secretary of Education 		Succeeded byas Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs
U.S. presidential line of succession
Preceded by 15th in line Succeeded by
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