Women Appointed to Presidential Cabinets

Current Cabinet
11
44% of 25 seats
Cabinet
5

Granholm (Energy), Haaland (Interior), Harris (Vice President), Raimondo (Commerce), Yellen (Treasury)

In addition, Julie  A. Su currently serves as Acting Secretary of Labor and Adrianne Todman serves as Acting Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Cabinet-Level
6

Guzman (Small Business), Haines (National Intelligence), Prabhakar (Science and Technology), Tai (Trade Representative), Thomas-Greenfield (U.N. Ambassador), Young (Management and Budget)

Historic Women Appointed to Presidential Cabinets
66

14 held federal or statewide elective offices before serving in Cabinets:

6 governors: Granholm, Haley, Napolitano, Raimondo, Sebelius, Whitman
3 attorneys general: Granholm, K. Harris, Norton
1 state treasurer: Raimondo
2 U.S. Senators: Clinton, K. Harris
5 U.S. Representatives: Fudge, Haaland, Heckler, Martin, Solis

Only 12 U.S presidents (5D, 7R) have appointed women to Cabinet or Cabinet-level positions since the first woman was appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. In addition, although President Truman did not appoint any women, Secretary of Labor Francis Perkins, a holdover from the Roosevelt administration, served in his Cabinet.

Appointed by Democrats
43
65.2% of 66 seats
Appointed by Republicans
23
34.8% of 66 seats

Cabinet or Cabinet-level Firsts

First Woman Appointed

Frances Perkins
Secretary of Labor, 1933 (Roosevelt)

First Black Woman Appointed

Patricia Roberts Harris
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, 1977 (Carter)

First Latina Appointed

Aída Álvarez
Administrator, Small Business Administration, 1997 (Clinton)

 

First Asian Pacific Islander Woman Appointed

Elaine Chao
Secretary of Labor,  2001 (G.W. Bush)

First Native American Woman Appointed

Debra Haaland
Secretary of the Interior, 2021 (Biden)

Women Appointed to Presidential Cabinets by Position

To date, 28 Cabinet or Cabinet-level posts have been filled by women. Cabinet and Cabinet-level positions vary by presidential administration. Our final authority for designating Cabinet or Cabinet-level in an administration is the president's official library.

Position # of women
Secretary of Labor 7
Secretary of Health and Human Services A 5
U.N. Ambassador 6
Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency 4
Administrator, Small Business Administration 6
Chair, Council of Economic Advisers 4
Secretary of Commerce 4
Secretary of Education 3
Secretary of State 3
Attorney General 2
Director, Office of Management and Budget 3
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 3
Secretary of Interior 3
Secretary of Transportation 3
U.S. Trade Representative 3
Secretary of Homeland Security 2
Vice President 1
Chair, National Economic Council B 1
Counselor to the PresidentC 1
Director, Office of Personnel ManagementD 1
Secretary of Agriculture 1
Secretary of Energy 2
Secretary of Health, Education, WelfareA 1
Special Trade Representative 1
Director, Central Intelligence Agency 1
Director, National Intelligence 1
Secretary of the Treasury 1
Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy 1
Secretary of Veterans Affairs 0
Secretary of Defense 0

A. Patricia Roberts Harris was appointed as Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, but became Secretary of Health and Human Services when the department was renamed in May 1980. We count these as a single appointment.
B. The position of Chair of the National Economic Council was considered Cabinet-level in the Clinton administration.
C. The position of Counselor to the President was considered Cabinet-level during the Nixon and Ford administrations.
D. The position of Director, Office of Personnel Management, was a Cabinet-level position in the Clinton administration.

Women Appointed to Presidential Cabinets by Administration

Totals include only women presidential appointees confirmed by the Senate to Cabinet or Cabinet-level positions; they do not include acting officials or nominees awaiting confirmation. Cabinet and Cabinet-level positions vary by presidential administration. Our final authority for designating Cabinet or Cabinet-level in an administration is the president's official library. See notes below for more details on appointments within presidential administrations, as well on variance in Cabinet or Cabinet-level positions across and within presidential administrations. 

President Total # of Women appointed this term Total # of Women Appointees Max. # of Women serving concurrently # of Cabinet or Cabinet-Level Positions % of Women at Maximum Level
Biden 13 13 13 25 52
Trump 7 7 6 23A 26
Obama (second term) 8 10 8 23 35
Obama (first term) 8 8 7 23B 30
G. W. Bush (second term) 4 6 5 21 24
G. W. Bush (first term) 4 4 4 21 19
Clinton (second term) 6 9 9 22 41
ClintonC(first term) 7 7 7 22 32
G. H. W. Bush 4 4 3 17 18
Reagan (second term) 1 3 3 17 18
Reagan (first term) 3 3 3 17 18
CarterD 4 2 18 11
Ford 2 2 1 22 5
Nixon (second term)F 1 1 1 13 see note #E
Nixon (first term)F 0 0 0 13 0
Johnson 0 0 0 14 0
Kennedy 0 0 0 11 0
Eisenhower (second term) 0 0 0 11 0
Eisenhower (first term) 1 1 1 11 9
Truman (second term) 0 0 0 10 0
Truman (first term)F 0 1 1 11 9
F. Roosevelt (all four terms) 1 1 1 11 9

A. The position of U.N. Ambassador was considered Cabinet-level in the Trump administration until December 2018, when it was removed from Cabinet-level. From September 2019 through January 2021, a woman – Kelly Craft – served as U.N. Ambassador when it was not considered Cabinet-level.
B. The position of Administrator, Small Business Administration was elevated to Cabinet status in January, 2012.
C. Clinton appointed seven different women to Cabinet or Cabinet -evel positions in his first term, but one woman (Laura D’Andrea Tyson) held two different positions during that administration – first chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, then chair of the National Economic Council (which she continued to hold during his second term). Another woman, Madeleine Albright, held different positions in Clinton’s first administration (U.N. ambassador) and second administration (secretary of state).
D. Carter made four appointments of women, but those included one woman appointed to two different posts. During the Carter administration, the position of Secretary of Education was created, and the position of Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare was replaced by a Secretary of Health and Human Services; Patricia Roberts Harris moved from HEW to HHS when the positions were redefined. Earlier, she had been Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
E. No women served in Nixon's 13-member Cabinet. One woman held a Cabinet-level position, as did a varying number of men at different times, making it impossible for us to provide an exact total number of positions or percentage of women. The position of Postmaster General was eliminated from the Cabinet before Nixon’s first term ended. F. When Truman took office, the Cabinet included the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy. In 1947, these roles were combined in the new post of Secretary of Defense.
F. When Truman took office, the Cabinet included the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy. In 1947, these roles were combined in the new post of Secretary of Defense.

Women Appointed to Presidential Cabinets - Complete List

Asterisks* indicate the first woman to hold that position. Italics signify women who have served in an acting capacity; no biographical information is provided for those individuals.

Click here for Brief Personal Histories of Appointees Listed Alphabetically

Appointee Position Appointed By Party Dates
Adrianne Todman Acting Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Biden D 2024-present
Julie A. Su Acting Secretary of Labor Biden D 2023-present
Arati Prabhakar* Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy Biden D 2022-present
Alondra Nelson Acting Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy Biden D 2022
Shalanda Young Director, Office of Management and Budget Biden D 2022-present
Shalanda Young Acting Director, Office of Management and Budget Biden D 2021-2022
Katherine Tai U.S. Trade Representative Biden D 2021-present
Isabel Guzman Administrator, Small Business Administration Biden D 2021-present
Debra Haaland Secretary of the Interior Biden D 2021-present
Cecilia Rouse Chair, Council of Economic Advisers Biden D 2021-2023
Marcia Fudge Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Biden D 2021-2024
Gina Raimondo Secretary of Commerce Biden D 2021-present
Jennifer Granholm Secretary of Energy Biden D 2021-present
Linda Thomas-Greenfield U.N. Ambassador Biden D 2021-present
Janet Yellen* Secretary of the Treasury Biden D 2021-present
Avril Haines* Director of National Intelligence Biden D 2021-present
Kamala Harris Vice President Biden D 2021-present
Jovita Carranza Administrator, Small Business Administration Trump R 2020-2021
Gina Haspel* Director, Central Intelligence Agency Trump R 2018-2021
Kirstjen Nielsen Secretary of Homeland Security Trump R 2017-2019
Elaine C. Duke Acting Secretary of Homeland Security2 Trump R 2017
Betsy DeVos Secretary of Education Trump R 2017-2021
Nikki Haley U.N. Ambassador Trump R 2017-2019
Elaine Chao Secretary of Transportation Trump R 2017-2021
Linda McMahon Administrator, Small Business Administration Trump R 2017-2019
Sally Yates Acting Attorney General3 Trump R 2017
Loretta Lynch Attorney General Obama D 2015-2017
Sylvia Mathews Burwell Secretary of Health and Human Services Obama D 2014-2017
Maria Contreras-Sweet Administrator, Small Business Administration Obama D 2014-2017
Samantha Power U.N. Ambassador1 Obama D 2013-2017
Gina McCarthy Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency Obama D 2013-2017
Penny Pritzker Secretary of Commerce Obama D 2013-2017
Sally Jewell Secretary of the Interior Obama D 2013-2017
Sylvia Mathews Burwell Director, Office of Management and Budget Obama D 2013-2014
Rosemary DiCarlo Acting U.N. Ambassador Obama D 2013
Miriam Sapiro Acting U.S. Trade Representative Obama D 2013
Karen G. Mills Administrator, Small Business Administration Obama D 2012-2013
Rebecca Blank Acting Secretary of Commerce Obama D 2012-2013
Rebecca Blank Acting Secretary of Commerce Obama D 2011
Kathleen Sebelius Secretary of Health and Human Services Obama D 2009-2014
Janet Napolitano* Secretary of Homeland Security Obama D 2009-2013
Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State Obama D 2009-2013
Lisa Jackson Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency Obama D 2009-2013
Susan E. Rice U. N. Ambassador Obama D 2009-2013
Hilda Solis Secretary of Labor Obama D 2009-2013
Christina D. Romer Chair, Council of Economic Advisers Obama D 2009-2010
Lynn Scarlett Acting Secretary of Interior Obama D 2009
Mary E. Peters Secretary of Transportation G.W. Bush R 2006-2009
Susan Schwab U.S. Trade Representative G.W. Bush R 2006-2009
Maria Cino Acting Secretary of Transportation G.W. Bush R 2006
Lynn Scarlett Acting Secretary of Interior G.W. Bush R 2006
Condoleezza Rice Secretary of State G.W. Bush R 2005-2009
Margaret Spellings Secretary of Education G.W. Bush R 2005-2009
Anne W. Patterson Acting U.N. Ambassador G.W. Bush R 2005
Elaine Chao Secretary of Labor G.W. Bush R 2001-2009
Gale Norton* Secretary of Interior G.W. Bush R 2001-2006
Ann Veneman* Secretary of Agriculture G.W. Bush R 2001-2005
Susan Livingstone Acting Secretary of Navy G.W. Bush R 2003
Christine Todd Whitman Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency G.W. Bush R 2001-2003
Janice R. Lachance* Director, Office of Personnel Management 5 Clinton D 1997-2001
Alexis Herman Secretary of Labor Clinton D 1997-2001
Charlene Barshefsky U.S. Trade Representative Clinton D 1997-2001
Aída Álvarez* Administrator, Small Business Administration Clinton D 1997-2001
Madeleine K. Albright* Secretary of State Clinton D 1997-2001
Janet L. Yellen Chair, Council of Economic Advisors Clinton D 1997-1999
Ginger Lew Acting Administrator, Small Business Clinton D 1997
Laura D'Andrea Tyson* Chair, National Economic Council Clinton D 1995-1996
Chair, Council of Economic Advisors Clinton D 1993-1995
Alice M. Rivlin* Director, Office of Management and Budget Clinton D 1994-1996
Cassandra M. Pulley Acting Administrator, Small Business Clinton D 1994
Donna E. Shalala Secretary of Health and Human Services Clinton D 1993-2001
Carol M. Browner* Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency Clinton D 1993-2001
Janet Reno* Attorney General Clinton D 1993-2001
Madeleine K. Albright U.N. Ambassador Clinton D 1993-1997
Hazel R. O'Leary* Secretary of Energy Clinton D 1993-1997
Barbara H. Franklin Secretary of Commerce Bush R 1992-1993
Lynn Morley Martin Secretary of Labor Bush R 1991-1993
Carla Anderson Hills Special Trade Representative4 Bush R 1989-1993
Elizabeth Hanford Dole Secretary of Labor Bush R 1989-1990
Ann Dore McLaughlin Secretary of Labor Reagan R 1987-1989
Elizabeth Hanford Dole* Secretary of Transportation Reagan R 1983-1987
Margaret M. Heckler Secretary of Health and Human Services Reagan R 1983-1985
Jeane J. Kirkpatrick* U.N. Ambassador1 Reagan R 1981-1985
Patricia R. Harris4 Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare/Health and Human Services Carter D 1979-1981
Shirley M. Hufstedler* Secretary of Education Carter D 1979-1981
Juanita A. Kreps* Secretary of Commerce Carter D 1977-1979
Patricia R. Harris Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Carter D 1977-1979
Carla Anderson Hills* Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ford R 1975-1977
Anne Armstrong Counselor to the President Nixon, Ford R 1973-1974
Oveta Culp Hobby* Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare Eisenhower R 1953-1955
Frances Perkins* Secretary of Labor F.D. Roosevelt, Truman D 1933-1945

1The position of U.N. Ambassador was considered Cabinet-level in the Obama administration, as it was during the Clinton and Reagan administrations.
2Duke was appointed Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security and became Acting Secretary when the Secretary was appointed White House chief of staff.
3Yates was a holdover from the Obama administration, where she was Deputy Attorney General, and served briefly as acting Attorney General in the Trump administration.
4Harris was appointed as Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, but became Secretary of Health and Human Services when the department was renamed in May 1980. She was the first woman to hold the position under the new title.
5The position of Director, Office of Personnel Management, was a Cabinet-level position in the Clinton administration.