Secretaries of State ad interim

NOTE TO READERS

Updates to the Principal Officers and Chiefs of Mission database are currently suspended. For information about the Department’s current and recent leadership, we recommend visiting the Department of State homepage’s Biographies of Senior Officials and List of U.S. Ambassadors.

Notice posted on January 12, 2024.
Last updated March 14, 2024.

There is no statutory provision specifying the title to be used by an officer executing the duties of Secretary of State when the office is vacant. Listed are the officers who have acted as Secretary of State in these circumstance, with the following information on each: name, legal residence,and dates during which each officer was in charge of the Department of State during the vacancy of the Secretaryship. The governmental position of the officer held at the time (if any) and the title used by each officer while serving as Secretary of State (if known) are indicated under the heading Current Position.