List of female United States Cabinet members

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The Cabinet of the United States, which is the principal advisory body to the President of the United States, has had 72 female members altogether, with eight of them serving in multiple positions for a total of 80 cabinet appointments. Of that number, 43 different women held a total of 46 permanent cabinet posts, having served as the Vice President or heads of the federal executive departments; 34 more women held cabinet-level positions, which can differ under each president; and five officeholders served in both cabinet and cabinet-rank roles. No woman held a presidential cabinet position before the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which prohibits the federal government or any state from denying citizens the right to vote on the basis of sex.

Kamala Harris is the highest-ranking woman to serve in a Cabinet as Vice President of the United States.
Madeleine Albright (left), Condoleezza Rice (center), and Hillary Clinton (right) are the highest-ranking women to lead a federal executive department; each held the post of Secretary of State.

Frances Perkins became the first woman to serve in a president's cabinet when she was appointed Secretary of Labor by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. Patricia Roberts Harris was the first African-American woman and the first woman of color to serve in a presidential cabinet when she was named Secretary of Housing and Urban Development by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. Two years later, Carter tapped her for Secretary of Health and Human Services, therefore making her the first woman to hold two different cabinet positions. Madeleine Albright, who was born in Czechoslovakia, became the first foreign-born woman to serve in a president's cabinet when she was picked by President Bill Clinton for United States Ambassador to the United Nations, a cabinet-rank position, in 1993. She was elevated to Secretary of State four years later, during Clinton's second term, thus making her, at the time, the highest-ranking woman in the history of the federal government.

On January 26, 2005, Condoleezza Rice assumed the post of Secretary of State under President George W. Bush, which made her the highest-ranked woman among cabinet secretaries to enter the presidential line of succession, standing fourth. Nancy Pelosi surpassed Rice on January 4, 2007, when her election as the first female Speaker of the House put her second in line to the presidency. Kamala Harris replaced Pelosi to become the highest-ranking woman ever to be in the line of succession upon being inaugurated as the first female Vice President on January 20, 2021, alongside President Joe Biden.

President Joe Biden named the most women as secretaries to his first-term Cabinet, with five: former Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen as Secretary of the Treasury; U.S. representative Deb Haaland (D-NM) as Secretary of the Interior; Rhode Island governor Gina Raimondo as Secretary of Commerce; U.S. representative Marcia Fudge (D-OH) as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; and Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm as Secretary of Energy, exceeding by one the record set by President Barack Obama. However, including cabinet reshuffles during his second term in office, Obama still holds the record for most women appointed to permanent cabinet positions with eight, the most of any presidency. That record was equaled by President Donald Trump in his second administration.

The Department of Labor has had the most female secretaries, with eight. The Department of Health and Human Services has had five; the Departments of Commerce and Education has had four; the Departments of Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, State, and Transportation have had three; the Departments of Agriculture and Energy have had two; and the Department of Treasury have had one. The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs are the only existing executive departments that do not have female secretaries yet.

The totals for this list include only women presidential appointees confirmed (if necessary) by the U.S. Senate to cabinet or cabinet-level positions and taking their oath of office; they do not include acting officials or nominees awaiting confirmation.

Permanent cabinet members

The following list includes women who have held permanent cabinet positions, all of whom are in the line of succession to the presidency. The table below is organized based on the beginning of their terms in office. Officeholders whose terms begin the same day are listed according to the presidential order of succession.

 *  denotes the first female holder of that particular office
No. Portrait Name Office Succession Term start Term end Party Administration(s) Ref.
1 Frances Perkins* Secretary of Labor — March 4, 1933 June 30, 1945 Democratic Roosevelt
Truman
2 Oveta Hobby* Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare 12 April 11, 1953 July 31, 1955 Republican Eisenhower
3 Carla Hills* Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 13 March 10, 1975 January 20, 1977 Ford
4 Juanita M. Kreps* Secretary of Commerce 10 January 23, 1977 October 31, 1979 Democratic Carter
5/6 Patricia Harris Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 13 January 23, 1977 September 10, 1979
Secretary of Health and Human Services 12 August 3, 1979 January 20, 1981
7 Shirley Hufstedler* Secretary of Education 16 November 30, 1979 January 20, 1981
8 Elizabeth Dole* Secretary of Transportation 14 February 7, 1983 September 30, 1987 Republican Reagan
9 Margaret Heckler Secretary of Health and Human Services 12 March 10, 1983 December 13, 1985
10 Ann McLaughlin Secretary of Labor 11 December 14, 1987 January 20, 1989
11 Elizabeth Dole Secretary of Labor 11 January 25, 1989 November 23, 1990 Bush Sr.
12 Lynn Martin Secretary of Labor 11 February 7, 1991 January 20, 1993
13 Barbara Franklin Secretary of Commerce 10 February 27, 1992 January 20, 1993
14 Donna Shalala Secretary of Health and Human Services 12 January 22, 1993 January 20, 2001 Democratic Clinton
15 Hazel R. O'Leary* Secretary of Energy 15 January 22, 1993 January 20, 1997
16 Janet Reno* Attorney General 7 March 12, 1993 January 20, 2001
17 Madeleine Albright* Secretary of State 4 January 23, 1997 January 20, 2001
18 Alexis Herman Secretary of Labor 11 May 1, 1997 January 20, 2001
19 Ann Veneman* Secretary of Agriculture 9 January 20, 2001 January 20, 2005 Republican Bush Jr.
20 Elaine Chao Secretary of Labor 11 January 29, 2001 January 20, 2009
21 Gale Norton* Secretary of the Interior 8 January 31, 2001 March 31, 2006
22 Margaret Spellings Secretary of Education 16 January 20, 2005 January 20, 2009
23 Condoleezza Rice Secretary of State 4 January 26, 2005 January 20, 2009
24 Mary E. Peters Secretary of Transportation 14 October 17, 2006 January 20, 2009
25 Hillary Clinton Secretary of State 4 January 21, 2009 February 1, 2013 Democratic Obama
26 Janet Napolitano* Secretary of Homeland Security 18 January 21, 2009 September 6, 2013
27 Hilda Solis Secretary of Labor 11 February 24, 2009 January 22, 2013
28 Kathleen Sebelius Secretary of Health and Human Services 12 April 28, 2009 June 9, 2014
29 Sally Jewell Secretary of the Interior 8 April 12, 2013 January 20, 2017
30 Penny Pritzker Secretary of Commerce 10 June 26, 2013 January 20, 2017
31 Sylvia Burwell Secretary of Health and Human Services 12 June 9, 2014 January 20, 2017
32 Loretta Lynch Attorney General 7 April 27, 2015 January 20, 2017
33 Elaine Chao Secretary of Transportation 14 January 31, 2017 January 11, 2021 Republican Trump I
34 Betsy DeVos Secretary of Education 16 February 7, 2017 January 8, 2021
35 Kirstjen Nielsen Secretary of Homeland Security 18 December 6, 2017 April 10, 2019
36 Kamala Harris* Vice President 1 January 20, 2021 January 20, 2025 Democratic Biden
37 Janet Yellen* Secretary of the Treasury 5 January 26, 2021 January 20, 2025
38 Jennifer Granholm Secretary of Energy 15 February 25, 2021 January 20, 2025
39 Gina Raimondo Secretary of Commerce 10 March 3, 2021 January 20, 2025
40 Marcia Fudge Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 13 March 10, 2021 March 22, 2024
41 Deb Haaland Secretary of the Interior 8 March 16, 2021 January 20, 2025
42 Kristi Noem Secretary of Homeland Security 18 January 25, 2025 Incumbent Republican Trump II
43 Pam Bondi Attorney General 7 February 5, 2025 Incumbent
44 Brooke Rollins Secretary of Agriculture 9 February 13, 2025 Incumbent
45 Linda McMahon Secretary of Education 16 March 3, 2025 Incumbent
46 Lori Chavez-DeRemer Secretary of Labor 11 March 11, 2025 Incumbent

Former permanent cabinet members

  • The Secretary of War became defunct when the Department of War was split between the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force by the National Security Act of 1947, and both were absorbed into the Department of Defense in 1949. No woman had ever served while it was a cabinet post.
  • The Postmaster General ceased to be a member of the cabinet when the Post Office Department was re-organized into the United States Postal Service (USPS) by the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970. No woman had ever served while it was a cabinet post. Megan Brennan became the first woman to serve as Postmaster General in 2015. She was appointed after the USPS became an independent agency of the executive branch.
  • The Secretary of Commerce and Labor became renamed when the Department of Commerce and Labor was split between the Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor. The Department of Commerce is considered a continuation of the Department of Commerce and Labor under a new name. No woman had ever served under the original title of the position.
  • The Secretary of the Army ceased to be a member of the cabinet when the Department of the Army became a component of the Department of Defense in 1949. No woman had ever served while it was a cabinet post. Christine Wormuth became the first woman to serve as Secretary of the Army in 2021. She was appointed after it became a position beneath the Secretary of Defense.
  • The Secretary of the Navy ceased to be a member of the cabinet when the Department of the Navy became a component of the Department of Defense in 1949. No woman had ever served while it was a cabinet post. Susan Livingstone became the first woman to serve as acting Secretary of the Navy in 2003. She was appointed after it became a position beneath the Secretary of Defense.
  • The Secretary of the Air Force ceased to be a member of the cabinet when the Department of the Air Force became a component of the Department of Defense in 1949. No woman had ever served while it was a cabinet post. Sheila Widnall became the first woman to serve as Secretary of the Air Force in 1993. She was appointed after it became a position beneath the Secretary of Defense.

Cabinet-level positions

The president may designate or remove additional officials as members of the cabinet. These positions have not always been in the cabinet, so some female officeholders may not be listed.

The following list includes women who have held cabinet-level positions, which can vary under each president. They are not in the line of succession and are not necessarily officers of the United States. The table below is organized based on the beginning of their terms in office while it was raised to cabinet-level status. Officeholders whose terms begin the same day are listed alphabetically by last name.

 *  denotes the first female holder of that particular office
No. Portrait Name Office Term start Term end Party Administration(s) Ref.
1 Anne L. Armstrong* Counselor to the President January 19, 1973 December 18, 1974 Republican Nixon
Ford
2 Jeane Kirkpatrick* United States Ambassador to the United Nations February 4, 1981 April 1, 1985 Reagan
3 Carla Hills* United States Trade Representative February 6, 1989 January 20, 1993 Bush Sr.
4 Carol Browner Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency January 23, 1993 January 20, 2001 Democratic Clinton
5 Madeleine Albright United States Ambassador to the United Nations January 27, 1993 January 21, 1997
6 Laura Tyson* Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers February 5, 1993 February 21, 1995
7 Alice Rivlin* Director of the Office of Management and Budget October 17, 1994 April 26, 1996
8 Janet Yellen Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers February 18, 1997 August 3, 1999
9 Aida Álvarez Administrator of the Small Business Administration March 7, 1997 January 19, 2001
10 Charlene Barshefsky United States Trade Representative March 18, 1997 January 20, 2001
11 Christine Whitman Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency January 31, 2001 June 27, 2003 Republican Bush Jr.
12 Susan Schwab United States Trade Representative June 8, 2006 January 20, 2009
13 Lisa P. Jackson Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency January 23, 2009 February 19, 2013 Democratic Obama
14 Susan Rice United States Ambassador to the United Nations January 26, 2009 June 30, 2013
15 Christina Romer Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers January 28, 2009 September 3, 2010
16 Karen Mills Administrator of the Small Business Administration January 13, 2012 September 1, 2013
17 Sylvia Burwell Director of the Office of Management and Budget April 24, 2013 June 9, 2014
18 Gina McCarthy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency July 18, 2013 January 20, 2017
19 Samantha Power United States Ambassador to the United Nations August 5, 2013 January 20, 2017
20 Maria Contreras-Sweet Administrator of the Small Business Administration April 7, 2014 January 20, 2017
21 Nikki Haley United States Ambassador to the United Nations January 25, 2017 December 31, 2018 Republican Trump I
22 Linda McMahon Administrator of the Small Business Administration February 14, 2017 April 12, 2019
23 Gina Haspel* Director of the Central Intelligence Agency May 21, 2018 January 20, 2021
24 Jovita Carranza Administrator of the Small Business Administration January 14, 2020 January 20, 2021
25 Avril Haines* Director of National Intelligence January 21, 2021 January 20, 2025 Democratic Biden
26 Linda Thomas-Greenfield United States Ambassador to the United Nations February 25, 2021 January 20, 2025
27 Cecilia Rouse Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers March 12, 2021 March 31, 2023
28 Isabel Guzman Administrator of the Small Business Administration March 17, 2021 January 20, 2025
29 Katherine Tai United States Trade Representative March 18, 2021 January 20, 2025
30 Shalanda Young Director of the Office of Management and Budget March 17, 2022 January 20, 2025
31 Arati Prabhakar* Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy October 3, 2022 January 20, 2025
32 Susie Wiles* White House Chief of Staff January 20, 2025 Incumbent Republican Trump II
33 Tulsi Gabbard Director of National Intelligence February 12, 2025 Incumbent
34 Kelly Loeffler Administrator of the Small Business Administration February 20, 2025 Incumbent

See also

Other lists of United States Cabinet members

  • List of African-American United States Cabinet members
  • List of foreign-born United States Cabinet members
  • List of Hispanic and Latino American United States Cabinet members
  • List of Jewish United States Cabinet members

Lists of international female executive department leaders

  • List of female defence ministers
  • List of female finance ministers
  • List of female foreign ministers
  • List of female interior ministers
  • List of female justice ministers

Notes

  1. The position was established as Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare on April 11, 1953; renamed Secretary of Health and Human Services on May 4, 1980.
  2. Ineligible to serve in the line of succession due to being a naturalized citizen and not a natural-born citizen.
  3. Labor was only included in the presidential line of succession under the Presidential Succession Act of 1947.
  4. The start date given here is the day when a position was elevated to cabinet-level status, not an officeholder appointed.

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