United States Secretary of the Navy

The United States secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer and the head of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On March 25, 2025, John Phelan was confirmed as secretary of the Navy.

Secretaries of the Navy

Continental Congress
PositionPortraitNameTerm of officeChairman of the Marine Committee90x90pxJohn Adams13 October 1775 – 1779Member of the Marine Committee75pxJohn Langdon13 October 1775–?Member of the Marine Committee75pxSilas Deane13 October 1775–?Member of the Marine Committee 101x101pxJoseph Hewes1775Joseph Hewes. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval Historical and Heritage Command.Continental Navy Board(under Marine Committee)6 November 1776 – 28 October 1779Chairman of the Continental Board of Admiralty75pxFrancis LewisDecember 1779 – 1780Secretary of Marine75pxAlexander McDougall7 February 1781 – 29 August 1781Agent of Marine(devolved onto Superintendent of Finance) 91x91pxRobert Morris29 August 1781 – 1784Benson J. Lossing. Household History for All Readers . 1877. Republished in Our Country vol. 2

(Post of Secretary of Marine created but remained vacant)

Executive Department, 1798–1949

No.PortraitNameStateStartEndPresident(s)175pxMaryland(1797–1801)(1801–1809)275pxMaryland375pxSouth Carolina(1809–1817)475pxPennsylvania575pxMassachusetts(1817–1825)675pxNew York775pxNew Jersey(1825–1829)875pxNorth Carolina(1829–1837)975pxNew Hampshire1075pxNew Jersey(1837–1841)1175pxNew York1295x95pxNorth Carolina(1841)(1841–1845)1375pxVirginia1475pxMassachusetts1575pxVirginia1675pxVirginia1775pxMassachusetts(1845–1849)1875pxVirginia1975pxVirginia(1849–1850)2075pxNorth Carolina(1850–1853)2188x88pxMaryland2292x92pxNorth Carolina(1853–1857)2375pxConnecticut(1857–1861)24100x100pxConnecticut(1861–1865)(1865–1869)2575pxPennsylvania(1869–1877)2675pxNew Jersey103x103px(1877–1881)2775pxIndiana2875pxWest Virginia2975pxLouisiana(1881)(1881–1885)30100x100pxNew Hampshire3175pxNew York(1885–1889)3275pxNew York(1889–1893)3375pxAlabama(1893–1897)3475pxMassachusetts(1897–1901)(1901–1909)3575pxMassachusetts3675pxIllinois3775pxMaryland3897x97pxCalifornia3975pxMichigan40113x113pxMassachusetts(1909–1913)4175pxNorth Carolina(1913–1921)4275pxMichigan(1921–1923)(1923–1929)97x97px43107x107pxCalifornia4494x94pxMassachusetts(1929–1933)45100x100pxVirginia(1933–1945)4675pxNew Jersey75px4775pxIllinois94x94px4875pxNew York(1945–1953)4975pxNew Hampshire5075pxNebraska

Military Department (Department of Defense), 1949–present

No.PortraitNameTerm of officePresident(s)StartEndDuration5075px(1945–1953)5175px5295x95px(1953–1961)5375px5496x96px5575px5675px(1961–1963)5775px75px(1963–1969)5895x95px5975px(1969–1974)6094x94px6175px6299x99px(1974–1977)6375x75px(1977–1981)6475px6575px(1981–1989)6675px6775px(1989–1993)6875px75px6975px75px(1993–2001)7075px7175px75px(2001–2009)7275px75px75px7375px75px 7475px (2009–2017)75px  (Archived by WebCite at WebCite)7575px 75px(2017–2021)7675px75px7675px75px75px7775px75px(2021–2025)7875px75px(2025–present)7975pxIncumbent

References

Navy