Past Secretaries
The Department of the Interior has been led by 53 Secretaries of the Interior.
- Thomas Ewing 1849-1850
- Thomas M.T. McKennan 1850
- Alexander H.H. Stuart 1850-1853
- Robert McClelland 1853-1857
- Jacob Thompson 1857-1861
- Caleb B. Smith 1861-1862
- John P. Usher 1863-1865
- James Harlan 1865-1866
- Orville H. Browning 1866-1869
- Jacob D. Cox 1869-1870
- Columbus Delano 1870-1875
- Zachariah Chandler 1875-1877
- Carl Schurz 1877-1881
- Samuel J. Kirkwood 1881-1882
- Henry M. Teller 1882-1885
- Lucius Q.C. Lamar 1885-1888
- William F. Vilas 1888-1889
- John W. Noble 1889-1893
- Michael H. Smith 1893-1896
- David R. Francis 1896-1897
- Cornelius N. Bliss 1897-1899
- Ethan A. Hitchcock 1899-1907
- James R. Garfield 1907-1909
- Richard A. Ballinger 1909-1911
- Walter Lowrie Fisher 1911-1913
- Franklin K. Lane 1913-1920
- John B. Payne 1920 -1921
- Albert B. Fall 1921-1923
- Hubert Work 1923-1928
- Roy O. West 1928-1929
- Ray L. Wilbur 1929-1933
- Harold L. Ickes 1933-1946
- Julius A. Krug 1946-1949
- Oscar L. Chapman 1949-1953
- Douglas McKay 1953-1956
- Fred A. Seaton 1956-1961
- Stewart L. Udall 1961-1969
- Walter Hickel 1969-1970
- Rogers C. B. Morton 1971-1975
- Stanley K. Hathaway 1975
- Thomas S. Kleppe 1975-1977
- Cecil B. Andrus 1977-1981
- James G. Watt 1981-1983
- William P. Clark 1983-1985
- Donald P. Hodel 1985-1989
- Manuel Lujan, Jr. 1989-1993
- Bruce Babbitt 1993-2001
- Gale A. Norton 2001-2006
- Dirk Kempthorne 2006-2009
- Ken Salazar 2009-2013
- Sally Jewell 2013-2017
- Ryan Zinke 2017-2019
- David Bernhardt 2019-2021
Born: December 28, 1789, West Liberty, Ohio County, Virginia
Appointed from: Ohio
Nominated: Unknown
Confirmed: Unknown
Took Office: March 8, 1849
Served Under: Pres. Zachary Taylor; Pres. Millard Fillmore
Termination: July 22, 1850
Length of Service: 1 year, 4 months, 15 days
Died: October 26, 1871
Buried: St. Mary's Cemetery, Lancaster, Ohio
Thomas McKean Thompson McKennan
Born: December 31, 1794, New Castle, Delaware
Appointed from: Pennsylvania
Nominated: Unknown
Confirmed: Unknown
Took Office: August 15, 1850
Served Under: Pres. Millard Fillmore
Termination: August 26, 1850
Length of Service: 12 days
Died: July 9, 1852
Buried: Washington Cemetery, Washington, Pennsylvania
Born: April 2, 1807, Staunton, Virginia
Appointed from: Virginia
Nominated: Unknown
Confirmed: Unknown
Served Under: Pres. Millard Fillmore;
Termination: March 7, 1853
Length of Service: 2 years, 5 months, 21 days
Died: February 13, 1891
Buried: Thornrose Cemetery, Staunton, Virginia
Born: August 1, 1807, Franklin County, Pennsylvania
Appointed from: Michigan
Nominated: Unknown
Confirmed: Unknown
Took Office: March 8, 1853
Served Under: Pres. Franklin Pierce
Termination: March 9, 1857
Length of Service: 4 years, 2 days
Died: August 30, 1880
Buried: Elwood Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan
Born: May 15, 1810, Leasburg, Caswell County, North Carolina
Appointed from: Mississippi
Nominated: Unknown
Confirmed: Unknown
Took Office: March 10, 1857
Served Under: Pres. James Buchanan
Termination: January 8, 1861
Length of Service: 3 years, 9 months, 29 days
Died: March 24, 1885
Buried: Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Tennessee
Born: April 16, 1808, Boston, Massachusetts
Appointed from: Indiana
Nominated: Unknown
Confirmed: Unknown
Took Office: March 5, 1861
Served Under: Pres. Abraham Lincoln
Termination: December 31, 1862
Length of Service: 1 year, 9 months, 26 days
Died: January 7, 1864
Buried: City Cemetery, Connersville, Indiana
Born: January 9, 1816, Brookfield, Madison County, New York
Appointed from: Indiana
Nominated: Unknown
Confirmed: Unknown
Took Office: January 1, 1863
Served Under: Pres. Abraham Lincoln
Termination: May 15, 1865
Length of Service: 2 years, 4 months, 15 days
Died: April 13, 1889
Buried: Oak Hill Cemetery, Lawrence, Kansas
Born: August 26, 1820, Clark County, Illinois
Appointed from: Iowa
Nominated: Unknown
Confirmed: Unknown
Took Office: May 16, 1865
Served Under: Pres. Andrew Johnson
Termination: August 31, 1866
Length of Service: 1 year, 3 months, 15 days
Died: October 5, 1899
Buried: Forest Home Cemetery, Henry County, Iowa
Born: February 10, 1806, Cynthiana, Harrison County, Kentucky
Appointed from: Illinois
Nominated: Unknown
Confirmed: Unknown
Took Office: September 1, 1866
Served Under: Pres. Andrew Johnson;
Termination: March 4, 1869
Length of Service: 2 years, 6 months, 4 days
Died: August 10,1881
Buried: Woodland Cemetery, Quincy, Illinois
Born: October 27, 1828, Montreal, Canada
Appointed from: Ohio
Nominated: Unknown
Confirmed: Unknown
Took Office: March 5, 1869
Served Under: Pres. Ulysses S. Grant
Termination: October 31, 1870
Length of Service: 1 year, 7 months, 26 days
Died: August 4, 1900
Buried: Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio
Born: June 5, 1809, Shoreham, Vermont
Appointed from: Ohio
Nominated: Unknown
Confirmed: Unknown
Took Office: November 1, 1870
Served Under: Pres. Ulysses S. Grant
Termination: September 30, 1875
Length of Service: 4 years, 11 months
Died: October 23, 1896
Buried: Mt. Vernon Cemetery, Mt. View, Ohio
Born: December 10, 1813, Bedford, New Hampshire
Appointed from: Michigan
Nominated: Unknown
Confirmed: Unknown
Took Office: October 19, 1875
Served Under: Pres. Ulysses S. Grant
Termination: March 11, 1877
Length of Service: 1 year, 4 months, 23 days
Died: November 1, 1879
Buried: Elmwood Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan
Born: March 2, 1829, Liblar, near Cologne, Germany
Appointed from: Missouri
Nominated: Unknown
Confirmed: Unknown
Took Office: March 12, 1877
Served Under: Pres. Rutherford B. Hayes
Termination: March 7, 1881
Length of Service: 3 years, 11 months, 26 days
Died: May 14, 1906
Buried: Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Tarrytown, New York
Born: December 20, 1813, Harford County, Maryland
Appointed from: Iowa
Nominated: Unknown
Confirmed: Unknown
Took Office: March 8, 1881
Served Under: Pres. James A. Garfield
Pres. Chester A. Arthur
Termination: April 17, 1882
Length of Service: 1 year, 1 month, 9 days
Died: September 1, 1894
Buried: Oakland Cemetery, Iowa City, Iowa
Born: May 23, 1830, Granger, Allegany County, New York
Appointed from: Colorado
Nominated: Unknown
Confirmed: Unknown
Took Office: April 18, 1882
Served Under: Pres. Charles A. Arthur
Termination: March 3, 1885
Length of Service: 2 years, 10 months, 16 days
Died: February 23, 1914
Buried: Fairmount Cemetery, Denver, Colorado
Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar
Born: September 17, 1825, Eatonton, Putnam County, Georgia
Appointed from: Mississippi
Nominated: Unknown
Took Office: March 6, 1885
Served Under: Pres. Grover Cleveland
Termination: January 10, 1888
Length of Service: 2 years, 10 months, 5 days
Died: January 23, 1893
Buried: St. Peter's Cemetery, Oxford, Mississippi
Born: July 9, 1840, Chelsea, Orange County, Vermont
Appointed from: Wisconsin
Nominated: December 12, 1887
Confirmed: January 10, 1888
Took Office: January 16, 1888
Served Under: Pres. Grover Cleveland
Termination: March 6, 1889
Length of Service: 1 year, 1 month, 21 days
Died: August 28, 1908
Buried: Forest Hill Cemetery, Madison, Wisconsin
Born: October 26, 1831, Lancaster, Ohio
Appointed from: Missouri
Nominated: March 5, 1889
Confirmed: March 5, 1889
Took Office: March 7, 1889
Served Under: Pres. Benjamin Harrison
Termination: March 6, 1893
Length of Service: 4 years
Died: March 22, 1912, St. Louis, Missouri
Buried: Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri
Born: September 2, 1855, Newton, Catawba County, North Carolina
Appointed from: Georgia
Nominated: March 6, 1893
Confirmed: March 6, 1893
Took Office: March 6, 1893
Served Under: Pres. Grover Cleveland
Termination: September 1, 1896
Length of Service: 3 years, 5 months, 26 days
Died: November 22, 1931
Buried: Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia
Born: October 1850, Richmond, Kentucky
Appointed from: Missouri
Nominated: December 9, 1896
Confirmed: January 18, 1897
Took Office: September 3, 1896
Served Under: Pres. Grover Cleveland
Termination: March 5, 1897
Length of Service: 6 months, 3 days
Died: January 15, 1927
Buried: Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri
Born: January 26, 1833, Fall River, Massachusetts
Appointed from: New York
Nominated: March 5, 1897
Confirmed: March 5, 1897
Took Office: March 6, 1897
Served Under: Pres. William McKinley
Termination: February 19, 1899
Length of Service: 1 year, 11 months, 14 days
Died: October 9, 1911
Buried: Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York
Born: September 19, 1835, Mobile, Alabama
Appointed from: Missouri
Nominated: December 21, 1898
Confirmed: December 21, 1898
Took Office: February 20, 1899
Served Under: Pres. William McKinley
Pres. Theodore Roosevelt
Termination: March 4, 1907
Length of Service: 8 years, 14 days
Died: April 9, 1909, Washington, D.C.
Buried: Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri
Born: October 17, 1865, Hiram, Ohio
Appointed from: Ohio
Nominated: December 3, 1906
Confirmed: January 15, 1907
Took Office: March 5, 1907
Served Under: Pres. Theodore Roosevelt
Pres. William H. Taft
Termination: March 5, 1909
Length of Service: 2 years, 1 day
Died: March 24, 1950
Buried: Mentor Municipal Cemetery, Mentor, Ohio
Born: July 9, 1858, Boonesboro, Iowa
Appointed from: Washington
Nominated: March 5, 1909
Confirmed: March 5, 1909
Took Office: March 6, 1909
Served Under: Pres. William H. Taft
Termination: March 12, 1911
Length of Service: 2 years, 7 days
Died: June 6, 1922, Seattle , Washington
Buried: Lake View Cemetery, Seattle, Washington
Born: July 4, 1862, Wheeling, Virginia
(now West Virginia)
Appointed from: Illinois
Nominated: April 13, 1911
Confirmed: April 17, 1911
Took Office: March 13, 1911
Served Under: Pres. William H. Taft
Termination: March 5, 1913
Length of Service: 1 year, 11 months, 23 days
Died: November 9, 1935
Buried: Hanover, Indiana
Born: July 15, 1864, DeSable Prince Edward Island, Canada
Appointed from: California
Nominated: March 5, 1913
Confirmed: March 5, 1913
Took Office: March 6, 1913
Served Under: Pres. Woodrow Wilson
Termination: February 29, 1920
Length of Service: 6 years, 11 months, 24 days
Died: May 18, 1921, Rochester, Minnesota
Buried: Ashes scattered over Yosemite
Born: January 26, 1855
Pruntytown, Virginia (now West Virginia)
Appointed from: Illinois
Nominated: February 14, 1920
Confirmed: February 28, 1920
Took Office: March 15, 1920
Served Under: Pres. Woodrow Wilson
Termination: March 4, 1921
Length of Service: 11 months, 20 days
Died: January 24, 1935
Buried: Oak Hill Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
Born: November 26, 1861, Frankfort, Kentucky
Appointed from: New Mexico
Nominated: March 4, 1921
Confirmed: March 4, 1921
Took Office: March 5, 1921
Served Under: Pres. Warren G. Harding
Termination: March 4, 1923
Length of Service: 2 years
Died: November 30, 1944
Buried: Evergreen Cemetery, Three Rivers, New Mexico
Born: July 3, 1860, Marion Center, Indiana County, Pennsylvania
Appointed from: Colorado
Nominated: February 27, 1923
Confirmed: February 27, 1923
Took Office: March 5, 1923
Served Under: Pres. Warren G. Harding
Pres. Calvin Coolidge
Termination: July 24, 1928
Length of Service: 5 years, 4 months, 20 days
Died: December 14, 1942
Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia
Born: October 27, 1868, Georgetown, Illinois
Appointed from: Illinois
Nominated: December 6, 1928
Confirmed: July 20, 1928
Took Office: July 25, 1928
Served Under: Pres. Calvin Coolidge
Termination: March 4, 1929
Length of Service: 7 months, 9 days
Died: November 29, 1958
Buried: Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois
Born: April 13, 1875, Boonesboro, Iowa
Appointed from: California
Nominated: March 5, 1929
Confirmed: March 5, 1929
Took Office: March 5, 1929
Served Under: Pres. Herbert C. Hoover
Termination: March 4, 1933
Length of Service: 4 years
Died: June 26, 1949
Buried: Alta Mesa Memorial Park, Palo Alto, California
Born: March 15, 1874, Frankstown Township, Blair County, Pennsylvania
Appointed from: Illinois
Nominated: March 4, 1933
Confirmed: March 4, 1933
Took Office: March 4, 1933
Served Under: Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt
Pres. Harry S. Truman
Termination: February 15, 1946
Length of Service: 12 years, 11 months, 12 days
Died: February 3, 1952
Buried: Sandy Springs, Maryland
Born: November 23, 1907, Madison, Wisconsin
Appointed from: Wisconsin
Nominated: February 26, 1946
Confirmed: March 5, 1946
Took Office: March 18, 1946
Served Under: Pres. Harry S. Truman
Termination: December 1, 1949
Length of Service: 3 years, 8 months, 14 days
Died: March 26, 1970
Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia
Born: October 22, 1896, Omega, Halifax County, Virginia
Appointed from: Colorado
Nominated: January 5, 1950
Confirmed: January 18, 1950
Took Office: December 1, 1949
Served Under: Pres. Harry S. Truman
Termination: January 20, 1953
Length of Service: 3 years, 1 month, 20 days
Died: February 8, 1978
Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia
Born: June 24, 1893, Portland, Oregon
Appointed from: Oregon
Nominated: January 20, 1953
Confirmed: January 21, 1953
Took Office: January 21, 1953
Served Under: Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower
Termination: April 15, 1956
Length of Service: 3 years, 2 months, 25 days
Died: July 22, 1959
Buried: Bellcrest Memorial Cemetery, Salem, Oregon
Born: December 11, 1909, Washington, D.C.
Appointed from: Nebraska
Nominated: May 28, 1956
Confirmed: June 5, 1956
Took Office: June 8, 1956
Served Under: Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower
Termination: January 20, 1961
Length of Service: 4 years, 7 months, 13 days
Died: January 16, 1974
Buried: Parkview Memorial Cemetery, Hastings, Nebraska
Born: January 31, 1920, St. Johns, Arizona
Appointed from: Arizona
Nominated: January 21, 1961
Confirmed: January 21, 1961
Took Office: January 21, 1961
Served Under: Pres. John F. Kennedy
Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson
Termination: January 20, 1969
Length of Service: 8 years
Died: March 20, 2010
Born: August 18, 1919, Ellinwood, Kansas
Appointed from: Alaska
Nominated: December 11, 1968
Confirmed: January 23, 1969
Took Office: January 24, 1969
Served Under: Pres. Richard M. Nixon
Termination: November 25, 1970
Length of Service: 1 year, 10 months, 2 days
Died: May 7, 2010
Buried: Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery, Anchorage, Alaska
Born: September 19, 1914, Louisville, Kentucky
Appointed from: Maryland
Nominated: January 25, 1971
Confirmed: January 28, 1971
Took Office: January 29, 1971
Served Under: Pres. Richard M. Nixon
Gerald R. Ford
Termination: April 30, 1975
Length of Service: 4 years, 3 months, 2 days
Died: April 19, 1979
Buried: Wye Church Churchyard, Talbot County, Maryland
Born: July 19, 1924, Osceola, Nebraska
Appointed from: Wyoming
Nominated: April 4, 1975
Confirmed: June 11, 1975
Took Office: June 12, 1975
Served Under: Pres. Gerald R. Ford
Termination: October 9, 1975
Length of Service: 3 months, 26 days
Died: October 4, 2005
Buried: Valley View Cemetery, Goshen County, Wyoming
Born: July 1, 1919, Kintyre, North Dakota
Appointed from: North Dakota
Nominated: September 9, 1975
Confirmed: October 9, 1975
Took Office: October 17, 1975
Served Under: Pres. Gerald S. Ford
Termination: January 20, 1977
Length of Service: 1 year, 3 months, 4 days
Died: March 2, 2007
Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia
Born: August 25, 1931, Hood River, Oregon
Appointed from: Idaho
Nominated: December 18, 1976
Confirmed: January 20, 1977
Took Office: January 23, 1977
Served Under: Pres. Jimmy Carter
Termination: January 20, 1981
Length of Service: 3 years, 11 months, 28 days
Died: August 24, 2017
Born: January 31, 1938, Lusk, Wyoming
Appointed from: Colorado
Nominated: January 20, 1981
Confirmed: January 22, 1981
Took Office: January 23, 1981
Served Under: Pres. Ronald Reagan
Termination: November 8, 1983
Length of Service: 2 years, 9 months, 16 days
Died: May 27, 2023
Born: October 23, 1931, Oxnard, California
Appointed from: California
Nominated: October 13, 1983
Confirmed: November 18, 1983
Took Office: November 18, 1983
Served Under: Pres. Ronald Reagan
Termination: February 7, 1985
Length of Service: 1 year, 2 months, 20 days
Died: August 10, 2013
Born: May 23, 1935, Portland, Oregon
Appointed from: Oregon
Nominated: January 10, 1985
Confirmed: February 6, 1985
Took Office: February 8, 1985
Served Under: Pres. Ronald Reagan
Termination: January 20, 1989
Length of Service: 3 years, 11 months, 12 days
Born: May 12, 1928, San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico
Appointed from: New Mexico
Nominated: December 22, 1988
Confirmed: February 2, 1989
Took Office: February 3, 1989
Served Under: Pres. George H. W. Bush
Termination: January 20, 1993
Length of Service: 3 years, 11 months, 17 days
Died: April 25, 2019
Buried: Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Born: June 27, 1938, Flagstaff, Arizona
Appointed from: Arizona
Nominated: December 27, 1992
Confirmed: January 22, 1993
Took Office: January 22, 1993
Served Under: Pres. Bill Clinton
Termination: January 2, 2001
Length of Service: 8 years
Gale A. Norton
Born: March 11, 1954, Wichita, Kansas
Appointed from: Colorado
Nominated: December 29, 2000
Confirmed: January 30, 2001
Took Office: January 31, 2001
Served Under: Pres. George W. Bush
Termination: March 31, 2006
Length of Service: 5 years, 2 months
Born: October 29, 1951, San Diego, California
Appointed from: Idaho
Nominated: December 29, 2000
Confirmed: May 26, 2006
Took Office: May 29, 2006
Served Under: Pres. George W. Bush
Termination: January 19, 2009
Length of Service: 2 years, 7 months
Born: March 2, 1955, Alamosa, Colorado
Appointed from: Colorado
Nominated: January 20, 2009
Confirmed: January 20, 2009
Took Office: January 20, 2009
Served Under: Pres. Barack Obama
Termination: April 12, 2013
Length of Service: 4 years, 2+ months
Born: February 21, 1956, London, UK
Appointed from: Washington
Nominated: February 6, 2013
Confirmed: April 10, 2013
Took Office: April 12, 2013
Served Under: Pres. Barack Obama
Termination: January 20, 2017
Length of Service: 3 years, 9+ months
Born: November 1, 1961, Bozeman, Montana
Appointed from: Montana
Nominated: December 13, 2016
Confirmed: March 1, 2017
Took Office: March 2, 2017
Served Under: Pres. Donald J. Trump
Termination: January 2, 2019
Length of Service: 1 year, 10 months
Born: August 17, 1969, Rifle, Colorado
Appointed from: Colorado
Nominated: February 4, 2019
Confirmed: April 11, 2019
Took Office: April 11, 2019
Served Under: Pres. Donald J. Trump
Termination: January 20, 2021
Length of Service: 1 year, 9+ months