United States Secretary of Education

The United States secretary of education is the head of the U.S. Department of Education. The secretary serves as the principle advisor to the president of the United States, and the federal government, on policies, programs, and activities related to all education in the United States. As a member of the Cabinet of the United States, the secretary is fifteenth in the line of succession to the presidency.

United States Secretary of Education
Seal of the Department of Education
Flag of the Secretary of Education
Incumbent
Phil Rosenfelt
(Acting)
since January 20, 2021
United States Department of Education
StyleMr. Secretary
(informal)
The Honorable
(formal)
Reports toPresident of the United States
SeatLyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Building, Washington, D.C.
AppointerPresident of the United States
with Senate advice and consent
Constituting instrument20 U.S.C. § 3411
FormationNovember 30, 1979 (1979-11-30)
First holderShirley Hufstedler
SuccessionFifteenth[1]
DeputyDeputy Secretary of Education
SalaryExecutive Schedule, Level I
Websitewww2.ed.gov
Education in the United States
 Education portal
 United States portal

The current secretary of education is Phil Rosenfelt, who is serving in an acting capacity for Joe Biden as the Senate reviews the nomination of Miguel Cardona for the position. Rosenfelt succeeded Mick Zais, who served in an acting capacity, following the immediate resignation of Betsy DeVos. He also served as acting secretary of education from January 20, 2017 until February 7, 2017, when the senate confirmed DeVos.

Function

The United States secretary of education is a member of the president's Cabinet and is the fifteenth in the United States presidential line of succession.[2] This secretary deals with federal influence over education policy, and heads the United States Department of Education.[3]

The secretary is advised by the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, an advisory committee, on "matters related to accreditation and to the eligibility and certification process for institutions of higher education."[4]

List of secretaries

Prior to the creation of the Department of Education in 1979, Education was part of the ambit of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

Parties

  Democratic   Republican

Status
  Denotes an Acting Secretary of Education

List of U.S. secretaries of health, education and welfare
No. Portrait Name State of residence Took office Left office President(s)
1 Oveta Culp Hobby Texas April 11, 1953 July 31, 1955 Dwight D. Eisenhower
2 Marion B. Folsom New York August 2, 1955 July 31, 1958
3 Arthur S. Flemming Ohio August 1, 1958 January 19, 1961
4 Abraham A. Ribicoff Connecticut January 21, 1961 July 13, 1962 John F. Kennedy
5 Anthony J. Celebrezze Ohio July 31, 1962 August 17, 1965
Lyndon B. Johnson
6 John W. Gardner California August 18, 1965 March 1, 1968
7 Wilbur J. Cohen Michigan May 16, 1968 January 20, 1969
8 Robert H. Finch California January 21, 1969 June 23, 1970 Richard Nixon
9 Elliot L. Richardson Massachusetts June 24, 1970 January 29, 1973
10 Caspar W. Weinberger California February 12, 1973 August 8, 1975
Gerald Ford
11 F. David Mathews Alabama August 8, 1975 January 20, 1977
12 Joseph A. Califano Jr. District of Columbia January 25, 1977 August 3, 1979 Jimmy Carter
13 Patricia Roberts Harris August 3, 1979 May 4, 1980[5]

List of U.S. secretaries of education

Source[6]

No. Portrait Name State of residence Took office Left office President
1 Shirley Hufstedler California November 30, 1979 January 20, 1981 Jimmy Carter
2 Terrel Bell Utah January 22, 1981 January 20, 1985 Ronald Reagan
William Bennett North Carolina February 6, 1985 September 20, 1988
3
4 Lauro Cavazos Texas September 20, 1988 December 12, 1990
George H. W. Bush
– Ted Sanders
Acting		 Illinois December 12, 1990 March 22, 1991
5 Lamar Alexander Tennessee March 22, 1991 January 20, 1993
6 Richard Riley South Carolina January 21, 1993 January 20, 2001 Bill Clinton
7 Rod Paige Texas January 20, 2001 January 20, 2005 George W. Bush
8 Margaret Spellings January 20, 2005 January 20, 2009
9 Arne Duncan[7] Illinois January 21, 2009 January 1, 2016 Barack Obama
10 John King Jr.[7] New York January 1, 2016 March 14, 2016
March 14, 2016 January 20, 2017
– Phil Rosenfelt
Acting		 Virginia January 20, 2017 February 7, 2017 Donald Trump
11 Betsy DeVos Michigan February 7, 2017 January 8, 2021
– Mick Zais
Acting		 South Carolina January 8, 2021 January 20, 2021
– Phil Rosenfelt
Acting		 Virginia January 20, 2021 Incumbent Joe Biden
– Miguel Cardona Connecticut Nominee –

Living former secretaries
See also: List of living former members of the United States Cabinet

As of February 2021, there are nine living former secretaries of education (with all secretaries that have served since 1985 still living), the oldest being Lauro Cavazos (served 1988–1990, born 1927). The most recent secretary of education to die was Shirley Hufstedler (served 1979–1981, born 1925) on March 30, 2016. The most recently serving secretary to die was Terrel Bell (served 1981–1985, born 1921) on June 22, 1996.

Name Term Date of birth (and age)
William Bennett 1985–1988 (1943-07-31) July 31, 1943
Lauro Cavazos 1988–1990 (1927-01-04) January 4, 1927
Lamar Alexander 1990–1993 (1940-07-03) July 3, 1940
Richard Riley 1993–2001 (1933-01-02) January 2, 1933
Rod Paige 2001–2005 (1933-06-17) June 17, 1933
Margaret Spellings 2005–2009 (1957-11-30) November 30, 1957
Arne Duncan[7] 2009–2016 (1964-11-06) November 6, 1964
John King Jr. 2016–2017 (1975-01-05) January 5, 1975
Betsy DeVos 2017–2021 (1958-01-08) January 8, 1958

References
  1. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/3/19
  2. Wilson, Reid (October 20, 2013). "The Presidential order of succession". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  3. "US Department of Education Principal Office Functional Statements". United States Department of Education. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  4. NACIQI Staff (November 23, 2016). "Welcome". Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI). Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  5. Harris was Secretary on May 4, 1980, when the office changed names from Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to Secretary of Health and Human Services. Because the department merely changed names, she did not need to be confirmed again, and her term continued uninterrupted.
  6. "The Education Secretaries Miguel Cardona Would Follow". Education Writers Association. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  7. Eilperin, Juliet; Layton, Lyndsey; Brown, Emma (October 2, 2015). "U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan to step down at end of year". Washington Post. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
TBD
as Secretary of Energy		 Order of Precedence of the United States
as Secretary of Education		 Succeeded by
TBD
as Secretary of Veterans Affairs
U.S. presidential line of succession
Preceded by
Secretary of Energy
TBD		 15th in line Succeeded by
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
TBD
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