The Under Secretary of State, from 1919 to 1972, was the second-ranking official at the United States Department of State, serving as the Secretary's principal deputy, chief assistant, and Acting Secretary in the event of the Secretary's absence. Prior second-ranking positions had been the Chief Clerk, the Assistant Secretary of State, and the Counselor. Prior to 1944, a number of offices in the Department reported directly to the Under Secretary. In July 1972, the position of Deputy Secretary superseded that of Under Secretary of State.
In modern times, the Under Secretary of State is a position ranking above Assistant Secretary of State and below Deputy Secretary of State. The Counselor of the United States Department of State, who advises the Secretary of State, holds a rank equivalent to Under Secretary.
Under Secretaries of State, 1919–1972
| Name | Home State | Term of Office | President(s) served under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Lyon Polk | New York | July 1, 1919–June 15, 1920 | Woodrow Wilson |
| Norman H. Davis | New York | June 15, 1920–March 7, 1921 | Woodrow Wilson and Warren G. Harding |
| Henry P. Fletcher | Pennsylvania | March 8, 1921–March 6, 1922 | Warren G. Harding |
| William Phillips | Massachusetts | April 26, 1922–April 11, 1924 | Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge |
| Joseph C. Grew | New Hampshire | April 16, 1924–June 30, 1927 | Calvin Coolidge |
| Robert E. Olds | Minnesota | July 1, 1927–June 30, 1928 | Calvin Coolidge |
| J. Reuben Clark, Jr. | Utah | August 31, 1928–June 19, 1929 | Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover |
| Joseph P. Cotton | New York | June 20, 1929–March 10, 1931 | Herbert Hoover |
| William R. Castle, Jr. | District of Columbia | April 2, 1931–March 5, 1933 | Herbert Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt |
| William Phillips | Massachusetts | March 6, 1933–August 23, 1936 | Franklin Roosevelt |
| Sumner Welles | Maryland | May 21, 1937–September 30, 1943 | Franklin Roosevelt |
| Edward R. Stettinius, Jr. | Virginia | October 4, 1943–November 30, 1944 | Franklin Roosevelt |
| Joseph C. Grew | New York | December 20, 1944–August 15, 1945 | Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman |
| Dean G. Acheson | Maryland | August 16, 1945–June 30, 1947 | Harry Truman |
| Robert A. Lovett | New York | July 1, 1947–January 20, 1949 | Harry Truman |
| James E. Webb | North Carolina | January 28, 1949–February 29, 1952 | Harry Truman |
| David K. E. Bruce | Virginia | April 1, 1952–January 20, 1953 | Harry Truman |
| Walter B. Smith | District of Columbia | February 9, 1953–October 1, 1954 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Herbert Hoover, Jr. | California | October 4, 1954–February 5, 1957 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Christian A. Herter | Massachusetts | February 21, 1957–April 22, 1959 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| C. Douglas Dillon | New Jersey | June 12, 1959–January 4, 1961 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Chester Bowles | Connecticut | January 25–December 3, 1961 | John F. Kennedy |
| George W. Ball | District of Columbia | December 4, 1961–September 30, 1966 | John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Nicholas deB. Katzenbach | October 3, 1966–January 20, 1969 | Lyndon B. Johnson | |
| Elliot L. Richardson | Massachusetts | January 23, 1969–June 23, 1970 | Richard Nixon |
| John N. Irwin II | New York | September 21, 1970–July 12, 1972 | Richard Nixon |
See also
- Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
- Acting Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security
- Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs
- Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs
- Under Secretary of State for Management
- Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs
External links
- The Department of State's list of Under Secretaries in the period that it was the second-ranking position.
- The Department of State's list of former and current positions.
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