United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Official Seal
Incumbent Shaun Donovan since January 26, 2009[1]
Formation	September 9, 1965
First holder	Robert C. Weaver
Succession	Thirteenth
Website	www.hud.gov

The United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is the head of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, a member of the President's Cabinet, and thirteenth in the Presidential line of succession. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development on September 9, 1965, by President Lyndon B. Johnson's signing of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act (Pub.L. 89-174) into law.^[2] The Department's mission is "to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing free from discrimination."^[3]

Robert C. Weaver became the first African American Cabinet member by being appointed to the position. The department was also the first Cabinet department to be headed by an African American woman, Patricia Roberts Harris, in 1977. Henry Cisneros became the first Hispanic HUD Secretary in 1993. The current Secretary is Shaun Donovan.

Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development

Parties

      Democratic       Republican

Status

  Denotes acting Secretary

No.	Portrait	Name	State of Residence	Took Office	Left Office	President(s)
1		Robert C. Weaver	New York	January 18, 1966	December 18, 1968		Lyndon B. Johnson
2		Robert C. Wood	Massachusetts	January 7, 1969	January 20, 1969
3		George W. Romney	Michigan	January 22, 1969	January 20, 1973		Richard Nixon
4		James Thomas Lynn	Ohio	February 2, 1973	February 5, 1975
							Gerald Ford
5		Carla Anderson Hills	California	March 10, 1975	January 20, 1977
6		Patricia R. Harris	Illinois	January 23, 1977	September 10, 1979		Jimmy Carter
7		Moon Landrieu	Louisiana	September 24, 1979	January 20, 1981
8		Samuel Pierce	New York	January 23, 1981	January 20, 1989		Ronald Reagan
-		J. Michael Dorsey		January 20, 1989	February 13, 1989		George H. W. Bush
9		Jack Kemp	New York	February 13, 1989	January 20, 1993
10		Henry Cisneros	Texas	January 22, 1993	January 20, 1997		Bill Clinton
11		Andrew Cuomo	New York	January 29, 1997	January 20, 2001
-		William C. Apgar		January 20, 2001	January 24, 2001		George W. Bush
12		Mel Martinez	Florida	January 24, 2001	December 12, 2003
13		Alphonso Jackson	Texas	December 12, 2003	April 1, 2004
				April 1, 2004	April 18, 2008
-		Roy A. Bernardi	New York	April 18, 2008	June 4, 2008
14		Steve Preston	Illinois	June 4, 2008	January 20, 2009
-		Brian D. Montgomery		January 20, 2009	January 26, 2009		Barack Obama
15		Shaun Donovan	New York	January 26, 2009[1]	Incumbent

Living former Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development

George W. Romney was sworn in as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development on January 22, 1969, with President Richard Nixon in attendance.

• Carla Anderson Hills
• Moon Landrieu
• Henry Cisneros
• Andrew Cuomo
• Mel Martinez
• Alphonso Jackson
• Steven C. Preston

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Staff (2009-01-29). "Shaun Donovan Secretary U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development". Department of Housing and Urban Development. http://www.hud.gov/about/secretary/donovanbio.cfm. Retrieved 2009-01-30. "On January 26, 2009, Shaun Donovan was sworn in as the 15th United States Secretary for Housing and Urban Development." 
2. ^ "HUD History". U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/about/hud_history. Retrieved January 10, 2010. 
3. ^ "Mission". U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/about/mission. Retrieved January 10, 2010. 

United States presidential line of succession
Preceded by Secretary of Health and Human Services	13th in line	Succeeded by Secretary of Transportation