United States Secretary of Transportation
Encyclopedia
The United States Secretary of Transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation
, a member of the President
's Cabinet
, and fourteenth in the Presidential line of succession
. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Transportation on October 15, 1966, by President Lyndon B. Johnson
's signing of the Department of Transportation Act. The Department's mission is "to develop and coordinate policies that will provide an efficient and economical national transportation system, with due regard for need, the environment, and the national defense." The Secretary of Transportation oversees eleven agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration
, the Federal Highway Administration
, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
. In April 2008, Mary Peters
launched the official blog of the Secretary of Transportation called The Fast Lane.
The first Secretary of Transportation was Alan Stephenson Boyd
, nominated to the post by Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson. Ronald Reagan
's second Secretary of Transportation, Elizabeth Dole
, was the first female holder, and Mary Peters was the second. Gerald Ford
's nominee William Thaddeus Coleman, Jr.
was the first African American to serve as Transportation Secretary, and Federico Peña
, serving under Bill Clinton
, was the first Hispanic to hold the position, subsequently becoming Secretary of Energy. Japanese American Norman Mineta
, who had previously been Secretary of Commerce, is the longest-serving Secretary, holding the post for over five and a half years, and Andrew Card
is the shortest-serving Secretary, serving only eleven months. Neil Goldschmidt
was the youngest secretary, taking office at age thirty-nine, while Norman Mineta was the oldest, retiring at age seventy-four. On January 23, 2009, the sixteenth and current secretary Ray LaHood
took office, serving under the administration of Democrat Barack Obama
; he had previously been a Republican Congressman from Illinois for fourteen years. The salary of the Secretary of Transportation is $199,700.
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United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
, a member of the President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
's Cabinet
United States Cabinet
The Cabinet of the United States is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, which are generally the heads of the federal executive departments...
, and fourteenth in the Presidential line of succession
United States presidential line of succession
The United States presidential line of succession defines who may become or act as President of the United States upon the incapacity, death, resignation, or removal from office of a sitting president or a president-elect.- Current order :This is a list of the current presidential line of...
. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Transportation on October 15, 1966, by President Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
's signing of the Department of Transportation Act. The Department's mission is "to develop and coordinate policies that will provide an efficient and economical national transportation system, with due regard for need, the environment, and the national defense." The Secretary of Transportation oversees eleven agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
, the Federal Highway Administration
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two "programs," the Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway Program...
, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, part of the Department of Transportation...
. In April 2008, Mary Peters
Mary Peters (politician)
Mary E. Peters served as the United States Secretary of Transportation under President George W. Bush from 2006 to 2009. She is the second woman to hold the position.-Public service career:...
launched the official blog of the Secretary of Transportation called The Fast Lane.
The first Secretary of Transportation was Alan Stephenson Boyd
Alan Stephenson Boyd
Alan Stephenson Boyd is an American attorney and transportation executive who led several large corporations and also served the U.S. Government in various transportation-related positions. He was the first United States Secretary of Transportation, appointed by Lyndon Johnson. Additionally, he...
, nominated to the post by Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson. Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's second Secretary of Transportation, Elizabeth Dole
Elizabeth Dole
Mary Elizabeth Alexander Hanford "Liddy" Dole is an American politician who served in both the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush presidential administrations, as well as a United States Senator....
, was the first female holder, and Mary Peters was the second. Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
's nominee William Thaddeus Coleman, Jr.
William Thaddeus Coleman, Jr.
William Thaddeus Coleman, Jr. was the fourth United States Secretary of Transportation, from March 7, 1975 to January 20, 1977, and the second African American to serve in the Cabinet...
was the first African American to serve as Transportation Secretary, and Federico Peña
Federico Peña
Federico Fabian Peña is a former United States Secretary of Transportation from 1993 to 1997 and United States Secretary of Energy from 1997 to 1998, during the presidency of Bill Clinton....
, serving under Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, was the first Hispanic to hold the position, subsequently becoming Secretary of Energy. Japanese American Norman Mineta
Norman Mineta
Norman Yoshio Mineta, is a United States politician of the Democratic Party. Mineta most recently served in President George W. Bush's Cabinet as the United States Secretary of Transportation, the only Democratic Cabinet Secretary in the Bush administration...
, who had previously been Secretary of Commerce, is the longest-serving Secretary, holding the post for over five and a half years, and Andrew Card
Andrew Card
Andrew Hill Card, Jr. is a Republican American politician, former United States Cabinet member, and head of President George W. Bush's White House Iraq Group. Card served as U.S. Secretary of Transportation under President George H. W. Bush and the White House Chief of Staff under George W. Bush...
is the shortest-serving Secretary, serving only eleven months. Neil Goldschmidt
Neil Goldschmidt
Neil Edward Goldschmidt is an American businessman and former Democratic politician from Oregon who held local, state, and federal offices over three decades. After serving as the governor of Oregon, Goldschmidt is widely considered the most influential figure in the state's politics, both as an...
was the youngest secretary, taking office at age thirty-nine, while Norman Mineta was the oldest, retiring at age seventy-four. On January 23, 2009, the sixteenth and current secretary Ray LaHood
Ray LaHood
Raymond H. "Ray" LaHood is a Republican politician from Illinois who is currently the United States Secretary of Transportation, having served since 2009. Previously, he represented the Illinois's 18th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for seven terms .-Early life and...
took office, serving under the administration of Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
; he had previously been a Republican Congressman from Illinois for fourteen years. The salary of the Secretary of Transportation is $199,700.
Secretaries of Transportation
Parties| No. | Portrait | Name | State of Residence | Took Office | Left Office | President(s) President of the United States The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.... |
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| Florida Florida Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... |
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Massachusetts Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010... |
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| California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
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| Gerald Ford Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974... |
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| Pennsylvania Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... |
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Oregon Oregon Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern... |
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| Pennsylvania Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... |
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Kansas Kansas Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south... |
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| North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte... |
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| Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... |
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Massachusetts Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010... |
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Colorado Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains... |
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| Arkansas Arkansas Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River... |
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California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
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Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
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Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
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Line of succession
The line of succession regarding who would act as Secretary of Transportation in the event of a vacancy or incapacitation is as follows:- Deputy Secretary of Transportation
- Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy
- General Counsel
- Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs
- Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy
- Assistant Secretary for Governmental Affairs.
- Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs
- Assistant Secretary for Administration
- Administrator of the Federal Highway AdministrationFederal Highway AdministrationThe Federal Highway Administration is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two "programs," the Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway Program...
- Administrator of the Federal Aviation AdministrationFederal Aviation AdministrationThe Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
- Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety AdministrationFederal Motor Carrier Safety AdministrationThe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration , established January 1, 2000, regulates the trucking industry in the United States. FMCSA is headquartered in Washington, DC and employs more than 1,000 people in all 50 States and the District of Columbia...
- Administrator of the Federal Railroad AdministrationFederal Railroad AdministrationThe Federal Railroad Administration is an agency in the United States Department of Transportation. The agency was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966...
- Administrator of the Federal Transit AdministrationFederal Transit AdministrationThe Federal Transit Administration is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT...
- Administrator of the Maritime Administration
- Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety AdministrationAdministrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety AdministrationThe Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is an official of the Federal government of the United States serving as the chief executive officer of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration within the Department of Transportation...
- Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationNational Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, part of the Department of Transportation...
- Administrator of the Research and Innovative Technology AdministrationResearch and Innovative Technology AdministrationThe Research and Innovative Technology Administration is a unit of the United States Department of Transportation . It was created in 2005 to advance transportation science, technology, and analysis, and to improve the coordination of transportation research within the Department and throughout...
- Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development CorporationSaint Lawrence Seaway Development CorporationThe Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation. The SLSDC is responsible for the safe and efficient movement of marine traffic through the U.S.-owned and operated facilities of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, which consists of 2 of the...
- Regional Administrator, Southern Region, Federal Aviation Administration
- Director, Resource Center, Lakewood, Colorado, Federal Highway Administration
- Regional Administrator, Northwest Mountain Region, Federal Aviation Administration
External links
- Department of Transportation
- The Fast Lane, the official blog of the Secretary