United States Assistant Secretary of State

Assistant Secretary of State (A/S) is a title used for many executive positions in the United States Department of State, ranking below the under secretaries.^[1] A set of six assistant secretaries reporting to the under secretary for political affairs manage diplomatic missions within their designated geographic regions, plus one assistant secretary dealing with international organizations and one equivalent as the coordinator/ambassador at large for counterterrorism. Assistant secretaries usually manage individual bureaus of the Department of State. When the manager of a bureau or another agency holds a title other than assistant secretary, such as "director", it can be said to be of "assistant secretary equivalent rank". Assistant secretaries typically have a set of deputies, referred to as deputy assistant secretaries (DAS).

History

From 1853 until 1913, the assistant secretary of state was the second-ranking official within the U.S. Department of State. Prior to 1853, the chief clerk was the second-ranking officer, and after 1913, the counselor was the second-ranking position, though the assistant secretary continued to be a position until 1924. From 1867, the Assistant Secretary of State was assisted by a second assistant secretary of state, and from 1875, by a third assistant secretary of state. Specific duties of the incumbents varied over the years and included such responsibilities as supervising the Diplomatic and Consular Bureaus, general supervision of correspondence, consular appointments, administration of the Department, and supervision of economic matters and various geographic divisions.

Overview

Today, the title of the second-ranking position is the Deputy Secretary of State, with the next tier of State Department officials bearing the rank of Under Secretary of State.

The following is a list of current offices bearing the title of "Assistant Secretary of State":

The following roles also possess a rank equivalent to Assistant Secretary:^[2]^[3]^[4]

Chief of Protocol of the United States, with the rank of Ambassador
Coordinator for Counterterrorism, with the rank and status of Ambassador-at-Large
Special Assistant to the Secretary and Executive Secretary of the Department
Inspector General of the Department of State
Legal Adviser
Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Global Talent
Director, Policy Planning Staff
Ambassador at Large for Global Women's Issues
Ambassador at Large for Global Criminal Justice
Director, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, with the rank of Ambassador at Large
Ambassador at Large for Global Health Security and Diplomacy
Director of the Foreign Service Institute
Science and Technology Advisor to the Secretary of State
Chief Information Officer of the Department
Director, Office of Foreign Missions, with rank of Ambassador
Director of Budget and Planning
Comptroller of the Department
Chief Economist of the Department
Director Foreign Assistance
Chief Medical Officer and Designated Agency Safety and Health Official
Director, Office of Civil Rights
Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer
Director, Office of Management Strategy and Solutions
Director of Overseas Buildings Operations

Current assistant secretaries of state

Office	Incumbent	Term began
Reporting to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs [edit]
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs 1 FAM 121	Mary Catherine Phee	September 30, 2021
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs 1 FAM 131	Daniel Kritenbrink	September 24, 2021
Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs 1 FAM 141	James C. O'Brien	October 5, 2023
Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs 1 FAM 161	Barbara A. Leaf	May 31, 2022
Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs 1 FAM 171	Donald Lu	September 15, 2021
Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs 1 FAM 151	Brian A. Nichols	September 15, 2021
Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs 1 FAM 331	Michele J. Sison	December 21, 2021
Reporting to the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment [edit]
Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs 1 FAM 421	Amy Holman	June 28, 2024 Acting
Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs 1 FAM 541	Jennifer R. Littlejohn	May 1, 2023 Acting
Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources 1 FAM 461	Geoffrey R. Pyatt	September 19, 2022
Reporting to the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security [edit]
Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance 1 FAM 441	Mallory Stewart	April 18, 2022
Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation 1 FAM 451	C.S. Eliot Kang	March 31, 2022
Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs 1 FAM 411	Stanley L. Brown	July 16, 2024 Acting
Reporting to the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs [edit]
Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs 1 FAM 341	Lee Satterfield	November 23, 2021
Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs 1 FAM 321	Kristin Kane	April 6, 2024 Acting
Reporting to the Under Secretary of State for Management [edit]
Assistant Secretary of State for Administration 1 FAM 211	Alaina B. Teplitz	December 6, 2021
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs 1 FAM 251	Rena Bitter	August 12, 2021
Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security 1 FAM 261	Gentry O. Smith	August 12, 2021
Director General of the Foreign Service 1 FAM 231	Marcia Bernicat	June 6, 2022
Director of the Foreign Service Institute 1 FAM 291	Joan A. Polaschik	May 20, 2022
Reporting to the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights [edit]
Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor 1 FAM 511	Robert S. Gilchrist	January 21, 2024 Acting
Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration 1 FAM 521	Julieta Valls Noyes	March 31, 2022
Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs 1 FAM 531	Todd D. Robinson	September 30, 2021
Assistant Secretary of State for Conflict and Stabilization Operations 1 FAM 471	Anne A. Witkowsky	January 10, 2022
Coordinator for Counterterrorism 1 FAM 481	Elizabeth H. Richard	December 29, 2023
Reporting directly to the Secretary of State [edit]
Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs 1 FAM 311	Naz Durakoğlu	July 22, 2022
Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research 1 FAM 431	Lisa D. Kenna	July 5, 2024 Acting

List of Assistant Secretaries of State, 1853–1937

#	Name	State of residency	Term of office	President(s) served under	Secretary of State(s) served under
1	Ambrose Dudley Mann	Virginia	March 23, 1853 – May 8, 1855	Franklin Pierce	William L. Marcy
2	William Hunter^[5]	Rhode Island	May 9, 1855 – October 31, 1855	Franklin Pierce	William L. Marcy
3	John Addison Thomas	New York	November 1, 1855 – April 3, 1857	Franklin Pierce James Buchanan	William L. Marcy Lewis Cass
4	John Appleton	Maine	April 4, 1857 – June 10, 1860	James Buchanan	Lewis Cass
5	William H. Trescot	South Carolina	June 8, 1860 – December 20, 1860	James Buchanan	Lewis Cass Jeremiah S. Black
6	Frederick W. Seward	New York	March 6, 1861 – March 4, 1869	Abraham Lincoln Andrew Johnson	William H. Seward
7	J.C. Bancroft Davis	New York	March 25, 1869 – November 13, 1871	Ulysses S. Grant	Hamilton Fish
8	Charles Hale	Massachusetts	February 19, 1872 – January 24, 1873	Ulysses S. Grant	Hamilton Fish
9	J.C. Bancroft Davis	New York	January 24, 1873 – January 30, 1874	Ulysses S. Grant	Hamilton Fish
10	John Lambert Cadwalader	New York	June 17, 1874 – March 20, 1877	Ulysses S. Grant Rutherford B. Hayes	Hamilton Fish William M. Evarts
11	Frederick W. Seward	New York	March 16, 1877 – October 31, 1879	Rutherford B. Hayes	William M. Evarts
12	John Hay	Ohio	November 1, 1879 – May 3, 1881	Rutherford B. Hayes James A. Garfield	William M. Evarts James G. Blaine
13	Robert R. Hitt	Illinois	May 4, 1881 – December 19, 1881	James A. Garfield Chester A. Arthur	James G. Blaine
14	J.C. Bancroft Davis	New York	December 19, 1881 – July 7, 1882	Chester A. Arthur	Frederick T. Frelinghuysen
15	John Davis	Washington, D.C.	July 7, 1882 – February 23, 1885	Chester A. Arthur	Frederick T. Frelinghuysen
16	James D. Porter	Tennessee	March 20, 1885 – September 17, 1887	Grover Cleveland	Thomas F. Bayard
17	George L. Rives	New York	November 19, 1887 – March 5, 1889	Grover Cleveland	Thomas F. Bayard
18	William F. Wharton^[6]	Massachusetts	April 2, 1889 – March 20, 1893	Benjamin Harrison Grover Cleveland	James G. Blaine John W. Foster Walter Q. Gresham
19	Josiah Quincy	Massachusetts	March 20, 1893 – September 22, 1893	Grover Cleveland	Walter Q. Gresham
20	Edwin F. Uhl^[6]	Michigan	November 1, 1893 – February 11, 1896	Grover Cleveland	Walter Q. Gresham Richard Olney
21	William Woodville Rockhill	Maryland	February 11, 1896 – May 10, 1897	Grover Cleveland William McKinley	Richard Olney John Sherman
22	William R. Day	Ohio	May 3, 1897 – April 27, 1898	William McKinley	John Sherman
23	John B. Moore	New York	April 27, 1898 – September 16, 1898	William McKinley	William R. Day
24	David Jayne Hill	New York	October 25, 1898 – January 28, 1903	William McKinley Theodore Roosevelt	John Hay
25	Francis B. Loomis^[6]	Ohio	January 7, 1903 – October 10, 1905	Theodore Roosevelt	John Hay Elihu Root
26	Robert Bacon	New York	September 5, 1905 – January 27, 1909	Theodore Roosevelt	Elihu Root
27	John Callan O'Laughlin	Washington, D.C.	January 27, 1909 – March 5, 1909	Theodore Roosevelt	Robert Bacon
28	Huntington Wilson	Illinois	March 5, 1909 – March 19, 1913	William Howard Taft Woodrow Wilson	Philander C. Knox William Jennings Bryan
29	John E. Osborne	Wyoming	April 21, 1913 – December 14, 1916	Thomas Woodrow Wilson	William Jennings Bryan Robert Lansing
30	William Phillips	Massachusetts	January 24, 1917 – March 25, 1920	Thomas Woodrow Wilson	Robert Lansing Bainbridge Colby
31	Fred Morris Dearing	Missouri	March 11, 1921 – February 28, 1922	Warren G. Harding	Charles Evans Hughes
32	Leland B. Harrison	Illinois	March 31, 1922 – June 30, 1924	Warren G. Harding Calvin Coolidge	Charles Evans Hughes
32	Wilbur J. Carr	Ohio	July 1, 1924 – July 28, 1937	Calvin Coolidge Herbert Hoover Franklin Roosevelt	Charles Evans Hughes Frank B. Kellogg Henry L. Stimson Cordell Hull

Second Assistant Secretary of State

The Consular and Diplomatic Appropriations Act for the year ending June 30, 1867 authorized the president to appoint a second assistant secretary of state. Duties of incumbents varied less over the years than did those of the other assistant secretary positions. Responsibilities included: supervision of correspondence with diplomatic officers; preparation of drafts of treaties, conventions, diplomatic notes, and instructions; detailed treatment of current diplomatic and political questions; approval of correspondence for the signature of the secretary or acting secretary; and consultation on matters of diplomatic procedure, international law and policy, and traditional practices of the Department. The Foreign Service Act of 1924 abolished numerical titles for assistant secretaries of state. Only two people held the position from 1866 to 1924.

#	Picture	Name	State of Residency	Term of Office	President(s) served under	Secretary of State(s) served under
1		William Hunter	Rhode Island	July 27, 1866 - July 22, 1886	Andrew Johnson Ulysses S. Grant Rutherford B. Hayes James A. Garfield Chester A. Arthur Grover Cleveland	William H. Seward Elihu Benjamin Washburne Hamilton Fish William Maxwell Evarts James Gillespie Blaine Frederick Theodore Frelinghuysen Thomas F. Bayard, Sr.
2		Alvey A. Adee	District of Columbia	August 3, 1886 - June 30, 1924	Grover Cleveland Benjamin Harrison William McKinley Theodore Roosevelt William Howard Taft Thomas Woodrow Wilson Warren G. Harding Calvin Coolidge	Thomas F. Bayard, Sr. James Gillespie Blaine John Watson Foster Walter Quintin Gresham Richard Olney John Sherman William Rufus Day John Milton Hay Elihu Root Robert Bacon Philander Chase Knox William Jennings Bryan Robert Lansing Bainbridge Colby Charles Evans Hughes

Third Assistant Secretary of State

A federal appropriations act for the year ending Jun 30, 1875 (Jun 20, 1874; 18 Stat. 90), authorized the president to appoint a third assistant secretary of state. The secretary of state was authorized to prescribe the duties of the assistant secretaries and other Department of State employees, "and may make changes and transfers therein when, in his judgment, it becomes necessary." The third assistant secretary's duties varied over the years, including such diverse assignments as: supervision of several geographic divisions; oversight of the bureaus of accounts and appointments; international conferences and commissions; and ceremonials and protocol, including presentation to the president of chiefs of foreign diplomatic missions. The Foreign Service Act of 1924 (May 24, 1924; 43 Stat 146) abolished numerical titles for assistant secretaries of state.

#	Name	State of Residency	Term of Office	President(s) served under	Secretary of State(s) served under
1	John Allen Campbell	Wyoming	February 24, 1875 - November 30, 1877	Ulysses S. Grant Rutherford B. Hayes	Hamilton Fish William M. Evarts
2	Charles Payson	Massachusetts, New York	June 22, 1878 - June 30, 1881	Rutherford B. Hayes James A. Garfield	William M. Evarts James G. Blaine
3	Walker Blaine	Maine	July 1, 1881 - June 30, 1882	James A. Garfield Chester A. Arthur	James G. Blaine Frederick T. Frelinghuysen
4	Alvey A. Adee	District of Columbia	July 18, 1882 - August 5, 1886	Chester A. Arthur Grover Cleveland	Frederick T. Frelinghuysen Thomas F. Bayard, Sr.
5	John Bassett Moore	Delaware, New York	August 6, 1886 - September 30, 1891	Grover Cleveland Benjamin Harrison	Thomas F. Bayard, Sr. James G. Blaine
6	William Morton Grinnell	New York	February 15, 1892 - April 16, 1893	Benjamin Harrison Grover Cleveland	James G. Blaine John W. Foster
7	Edward Henry Strobel	New York	April 17, 1893 - April 16, 1894	Grover Cleveland	Walter Q. Gresham
8	William Woodville Rockhill	District of Columbia, Maryland	April 17, 1894 - February 13, 1896	Grover Cleveland	Walter Q. Gresham Richard Olney
9	William Woodward Baldwin	New York	February 29, 1896 - April 1, 1897	Grover Cleveland, William McKinley	Richard Olney John Sherman
10	Thomas Wilbur Cridler	West Virginia	April 8, 1897 - November 15, 1901	William McKinley	John Sherman William R. Day John Hay
11	Herbert Henry Davis Peirce	Massachusetts	November 16, 1901 - June 22, 1906	Theodore Roosevelt	John Hay Elihu Root
12	Huntington Wilson	Illinois	July 2, 1906 - December 30, 1908	Theodore Roosevelt	Elihu Root
13	William Phillips	Massachusetts	January 11, 1909 - October 13, 1909	Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft	Elihu Root Robert Bacon Philander C. Knox
14	Chandler Hale	Maine	October 14, 1909 - April 21, 1913	William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson	Philander C. Knox William Jennings Bryan
15	Dudley Field Malone	New York	April 22, 1913 - November 22, 1913	Woodrow Wilson	William Jennings Bryan
16	William Phillips	Massachusetts	March 17, 1914 - January 24, 1917	Woodrow Wilson	William Jennings Bryan Robert Lansing
17	Breckinridge Long	Massachusetts	January 29, 1917 - June 8, 1920	Woodrow Wilson	Robert Lansing Bainbridge Colby
18	Van Santvoord Merle-Smith	New York	June 24, 1920 - March 4, 1921	Woodrow Wilson	Bainbridge Colby
19	Robert Woods Bliss	New York	March 16, 1921 - May 3, 1923	Warren G. Harding	Charles Evans Hughes
20	J. Butler Wright	Wyoming	June 11, 1923 - June 30, 1924	Warren G. Harding Calvin Coolidge	Charles Evans Hughes

Defunct offices including the designation of Assistant Secretary of State

Assistant Secretary of State for Occupied Areas

References

^ "Assistant Secretaries and Other Senior Officials". U.S. Department of State. January 26, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
^ "Assistant Secretaries and Equivalent Rank". U.S. Department of State. January 20, 2009. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
^ "Department Organization Chart". U.S. Department of State. March 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
^ "Career vs. Other Appointments: Assistant Secretary Equivalents". American Foreign Service Association. November 16, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
^ Served as Acting Secretary of State, but not during term as Assistant Secretary of State.
^ ^a ^b ^c Served as Acting Secretary of State

External links

[1] "Assistant Secretaries and Other Senior Officials". U.S. Department of State. January 26, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.

[2] "Assistant Secretaries and Equivalent Rank". U.S. Department of State. January 20, 2009. Retrieved April 4, 2016.

[3] "Department Organization Chart". U.S. Department of State. March 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2016.

[4] "Career vs. Other Appointments: Assistant Secretary Equivalents". American Foreign Service Association. November 16, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.

[Acting2-5] Served as Acting Secretary of State, but not during term as Assistant Secretary of State.

[Acting-6] Served as Acting Secretary of State

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

v t e United States Department of State
Headquarters: Harry S Truman Building Antony Blinken, Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell, Deputy Secretary of State Richard R. Verma, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources John R. Bass, Acting Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
Deputy Secretary of State and Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources	Office of Foreign Assistance Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Office of the U.S. Coordinator for the Arctic Region
Under Secretary for Political Affairs	Bureau of African Affairs Bureau of Counterterrorism Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Bureau of International Organization Affairs (United States Mission to the United Nations) Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment	Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Bureau of Energy Resources Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Office of the Chief Economist Office of Global Food Security Office of Global Partnerships Office of the Science and Technology Advisor to the Secretary
Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security	Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation Bureau of Political-Military Affairs International Security Advisory Board
Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs	Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau of Global Public Affairs Global Engagement Center International Expositions Unit Office of Global Youth Issues Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy
Under Secretary for Management	Bureau of Administration Bureau of Budget and Planning Bureau of Consular Affairs Bureau of Diplomatic Security Bureau of Global Talent Management Bureau of Information Resource Management Bureau of Medical Services Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services Foreign Service Institute (Office of the Historian) Office of Foreign Missions Director of Diplomatic Reception Rooms Office of Management Strategy and Solutions Office of White House Liaison
Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights	Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Office of Global Criminal Justice Office of International Religious Freedom Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
Bureaus/Offices reporting directly to the Secretary	Chief of Staff Office of the Counselor Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy Bureau of Intelligence and Research Bureau of Legislative Affairs Executive Secretariat (Operations Center) Policy Planning Staff (Foreign Affairs Policy Board) Office of Civil Rights Office of Diversity and Inclusion Office of Global Women's Issues Office of Inspector General Office of the Chief of Protocol Office of the Legal Adviser Office of the Ombudsman Office of the Secretary's Special Representative for Syria Engagement Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Office of the Special Representative for Venezuela Office of the United States Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority Office of the U.S. Special Coordinator for the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment Iran Action Group Foreign Service Grievance Board Secretary's Open Forum

v t e United States Assistant Secretaries of State (and equivalent ranks)
Reporting to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs	African Affairs East Asian and Pacific Affairs European and Eurasian Affairs International Organization Affairs Near Eastern Affairs South and Central Asian Affairs Western Hemisphere Affairs
Reporting to the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment	Economic and Business Affairs Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Energy Resources Chief Economist of the Department
Reporting to the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security	Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance International Security and Nonproliferation Political-Military Affairs
Reporting to the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs	Educational and Cultural Affairs Global Public Affairs
Reporting to the Under Secretary for Management	Administration Consular Affairs Diplomatic Security Chief Information Officer of the Department Chief Medical Officer and Designated Agency Safety and Health Official Comptroller of the Department and Director of Global Financial Services Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Global Talent Director of Budget and Planning Director of Overseas Buildings Operations Director, Foreign Service Institute Director, Office of Foreign Missions, with the rank of Ambassador Director, Office of Management Strategy and Solutions
Reporting to the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights	Conflict and Stabilization Operations Coordinator for Counterterrorism, with rank and status of Ambassador-at-Large Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Population, Refugees, and Migration Director, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking (Ambassador-at-Large) Global Criminal Justice (Ambassador-at-Large)
Reporting directly to the Secretary	Intelligence and Research Legislative Affairs Special Assistant to the Secretary and Executive Secretary of the Department Inspector General Legal Adviser Director, Policy Planning Staff Director, Office of Foreign Assistance Director, Office of Civil Rights and Chief Diversity Officer Chief of Protocol of the United States, with the rank of Ambassador Global Women's Issues (Ambassador-at-Large) Coordinator of United States Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally (Ambassador-at-Large)

History

Overview

Current assistant secretaries of state

Reporting to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs

Reporting to the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment

Reporting to the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security

Reporting to the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs

Reporting to the Under Secretary of State for Management

Reporting to the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights

Reporting directly to the Secretary of State