United States Assistant Secretary of War

The United States Assistant Secretary of War was the second-ranking official within the American Department of War from 1861 to 1867, from 1882 to 1883, and from 1890 to 1940. According to the [http://books.google.com/books?id=2liGLyKRW6QC Military Laws of the United States] , "The act of August 5, 1882 authorizing the appointment of an Assistant Secretary of War was repealed by the act of July 7, 1884 (23 Stat L., 331) the power conferred by the act of August 5, 1882 never having been exercised," indicating that the post was not filled between 1882 and 1883 (p. 45, footnote 2).

In 1940, the new position of United States Under Secretary of War replaced this position as the number-two office in the department. Assistant Secretary Robert Porter Patterson became the first Under Secretary. [ [http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/robertpo.htm Arlington National Cemetery: Robert Porter Patterson] ]

The office continued to exercise administrative duties until the department's end in 1947, when the United States Department of Defense was established.

List of Assistant Secretaries of War

This list only includes those persons who served as "the" Assistant Secretary, or "First" Assistant Secretary. At various times, there were also "second" or "third" assistant secretaries, ranking below the Assistant Secretary.

*Thomas Alexander Scott (1861- c. 1863)
*Charles Anderson Dana (1863-1865) [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B01EEDC123CE433A2575BC1A9669D94669ED7CF New York Times obituary of Dana] ]
*Thomas Eckert (1865-1867) -- under Edwin M. Stanton during Andrew Johnson's presidency
*Lewis A. Grant (c. 1890-1893) [ [http://www.history.army.mil/books/Sw-SA/App-A.htm SECRETARIES OF WAR AD INTERIM AND ACTING SECRETARIES OF THE ARMY] ]
*Joseph Doe (c. 1893-1897) [ [http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=1134 General Doe, soldier and lawyer, was pioneer in baseball] ]
*George D. Meiklejohn (1897-1901) [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=980DE4DC133EE333A25750C2A96F9C946197D6CF New York Times: G.D. MEIKLEJOHN IN NEBRASKA.; Assistant Secretary of War Speaks at Grand Island on the History of Imperialism] ]
*William Cary Sanger (1901-1903) [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E0DE2D6103EEE3ABC4F53DFB467838A639EDE New York Times] ] [ [http://www.sangermansion.com/history.htm Sanger Mansion] ]
*Robert Shaw Oliver (1903-1913) [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=UybFgNcowCEC&dq= Pennsylvania at Antietam: Report of the Antietam Battlefield Memorial commission] (mentions Oliver as Assistant Secretary, and Acting Secretary, of War, as of 1904)] [ [http://www.galleryofhistory.com/archive/1_2005/presidential/15534-PRESIDENT-THEODORE-ROOSEVELT.htm Gallery of History] (says that Oliver served as Assistant Secretary longer than any other individual)]
*Henry S. Breckinridge (1913-1916) -- under Lindley M. Garrison during Woodrow Wilson's presidency
*William Ingraham (c. 1916-1917)
*Benedict Crowell (1917-1920) [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,723080,00.html Time: "Crowell's Conspiracy," Oct. 15, 1923] ]
*William Reid Williams (1920-1921) [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,846966-2,00.html Time magazine] ]
*Mayhew Wainwright (c. 1921-1923)
*Dwight Filley Davis (1923-1925) [ [http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/dfdavis.htm Arlington National Cemetery: Dwight Filley Davis] ]
*Hanford MacNider (1925- c. 1928) [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,721349-2,00.html Time: "Change," Oct. 26, 1925] ] [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,739368,00.html Time: "The Hoover Week"] ]
*Patrick Jay Hurley (March–December 1929)
*Frederick Huff Payne (1930- c. 1933) [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,739146,00.html Time: "Second to Hurley," 1930] ]
*Harry Hines Woodring (1933-1936) [ [http://ead.diglib.ku.edu/xml/ksrl.kc.woodringhpapers.html Guide to the Harry Hines Woodring Collection] ]
*Louis A. Johnson (1937-1940)
*Robert Porter Patterson (1940)
*John J. McCloy (c. 1941-1945)
*Howard C. Petersen (c. 1945-1947)

Assistant Secretary of War for Air

Starting in 1926, [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,744273-4,00.html Time: "Job No. 2"] ] there was a distinct position in the War Department called "Assistant Secretary of War for Aviation," "Assistant Secretary of War for Air," or "Assistant Secretary of War for Aeronautics." Among those to hold this office were F. Trubee Davison, [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,731277,00.html?iid=chix-sphere Time: "New Amphibian"] ] Robert A. Lovett, [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,778069-2,00.html Time: "Methodists & Businessmen "] ] and Stuart Symington. [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,887410,00.html Time: "Line-Up"] ]

ee also

*United States Secretary of War

References

* [http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/107.html#107.4 Records of the Office of the Secretary of War]