predecessor successor death_date birth_place president death_place party office birth_date term_start spouse image article_title term_end name alma_mater
position established robert smith december 18 , 1813 1744 charles county , maryland , u.s. john adams thomas jefferson bladensburg , maryland , u.s. federalist united states secretary of the navy 1744 june 18 , 1798 rebecca lowndes benjamin_stoddert_secnavy . jpg benjamin stoddert
 march 31 , 1801 benjamin stoddert university of pennsylvania
benjamin stoddert

benjamin stoddert -lrb- 1744 -- december 18 , 1813 -rrb- was the first united states secretary of the navy from may 1 , 1798 to march 31 , 1801 .
