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Flag of Assistant Secretary of War

Flag of the United States Assistant Secretary of War

The United States Assistant Secretary of War was the second-ranking official within the American Department of War from 1861 to 1867, from 1882 to 1883, and from 1890 to 1940. According to the Military Laws of the United States, "The act of August 5, 1882 authorizing the appointment of an Assistant Secretary of War was repealed by the act of July 7, 1884 (23 Stat L., 331) the power conferred by the act of August 5, 1882 never having been exercised," indicating that the post was not filled between 1882 and 1883 (p. 45, footnote 2).

In 1940, the new position of United States Under Secretary of War replaced this position as the number-two office in the department. Assistant Secretary Robert P. Patterson became the first Under Secretary.[1]

The office continued to exercise administrative duties until the department's end in 1947, when the United States Department of Defense was established.

List of Assistant Secretaries of War[]

This list only includes those persons who served as the Assistant Secretary, or First Assistant Secretary. At various times, there were also "second" or "third" assistant secretaries, ranking below the Assistant Secretary.

# Picture Name Start of tenure End of tenure Notes
1 Thomas Alexander Scott - Project Gutenberg eText 17976 ScottThomas Alexander Scott March 10, 1861 January 24, 1862 [2]
2
WatsonPeter H. Watson January 24, 1862 January 28, 1862 [2]
3
TuckerJohn Tucker January 29, 1862 June 10, 1862 [2]
4 Christopher Wolcott WolcottChristopher Wolcott June 11, 1862 April 4, 1863 died in office[2]
5 Portrait of Charles Anderson Dana DanaCharles Anderson Dana January 28, 1864 July 26, 1866 [2]
6 Thomas T Eckert 06182 EckertThomas Eckert July 27, 1866 1867 -- under Edwin M. Stanton during Andrew Johnson's presidency, office abolished 1868[2]
7 LAGrant GrantLewis A. Grant c. 1890 1893 [3]
8
DoeJoseph Doe c. 1893 1897 [4]
9 George de Rue Meiklejohn MeiklejohnGeorge D. Meiklejohn 1897 1901 [5]
10
SangerWilliam Cary Sanger 1901 1903 [6][7]
11 Robert Shaw Oliver, U. S. Assistant Secretary of War, 1903-1913 OliverRobert Shaw Oliver 1903 1913 [8][9]
12 Breck 3295488946 211613c77c o BreckinridgeHenry S. Breckinridge 1913 1916 -- under Lindley M. Garrison during Woodrow Wilson's presidency
13 William Moulton Ingraham in 1917 IngrahamWilliam Ingraham c. 1916 1917
14 Benedict-crowell-photo-01 CrowellBenedict Crowell 1917 1920 [10]
15
William Reid Williams 1920 1921 [11]
16 J. Mayhew Wainwright, 03824u WainwrightMayhew Wainwright c. 1921 1923
17 Dwight Davis, Bain bw photo portrait DavisDwight Filley Davis 1923} 1925 [12]
18 Hanford MacNider2 MacNiderHanford MacNider 1925 c. 1928 [13][14]
19
RobbinsCharles Burton Robbins
20 PJayHurl HurleyPatrick Jay Hurley March 1929 December 1929
21 Frederick Huff Payne circa 1900-1910 PayneFrederick Huff Payne 1930 c. 1933 [15]
22 Harry Hines Woodring, 53rd United States Secretary of War WoodringHarry Hines Woodring 1933 1936 [16]
23 Louis Johnson official DoD photo JohnsonLouis A. Johnson 1937 1940
24 Robert P. Patterson, 55th United States Secretary of War PattersonRobert Porter Patterson 1940
25 John J. McCloy - Project Gutenberg etext 20587 McCloyJohn J. McCloy 1941 1945
26
PetersonHoward C. Petersen 1945 1947

Assistant Secretary of War for Air[]

The Air Corps Act of 1926 (44 Stat. 780), passed on July 2 of that year,[17] created a Second Assistant Secretary position in the War Department variously called "Assistant Secretary of War for Aviation," "Assistant Secretary of War for Air," or "Assistant Secretary of War for Aeronautics." Those holding the office, with an eight-year vacancy between 1933 and 1941, were F. Trubee Davison (1926-1933),[18] Robert A. Lovett (1941-1945),[19] and Stuart Symington (1946-1947).[20]

# Picture Name Start of tenure End of tenure Notes
1
DavidsonF. Trubee Davison 1926 1933
2
LovettRobert A. Lovett 1941 1945
3
SymingtonStuart Symington 1946 1947

See also[]

References[]

External links[]

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