Thursday, June 12, 2008
Women U.S. Cabinet Members
The fact that 27% of current U.S. cabinet members are women (4 out of 15) demonstrates that it is more likely that talented women will be appointed to a position of political leadership based on their expertise than that they will achieve it by the election process.
Throughout history, we have had 24 women hold Cabinet level positions (including one who was an acting Secretary of Transportation for a brief period) We have had 8 women serve at Executive Advisor levels as U.S. Trade Representative, the Environmental Protection Agency (including one acting head for a brief period) and the Office of Management and Budget.
Six women have been Secretaries of Labor:
Frances Perkins (1933-1945) – Franklin D. Roosevelt
Ann Dore McLaughlin (1987-1989) – Ronald Reagan
Elizabeth Dole (1989-1990) – George H.W. Bush
Lynn M. Martin (1991-1993) – George H.W. Bush
Alexis Herman (1997-2001) – Bill Clinton
Elaine Cho (2001- ) – George W. Bush
Three women have headed two other departments. In 1979, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare was split into the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Education Patricia Roberts Harris was the last Secretary of HEW (1979) and the first Secretary of HHS (1979-1981).
Health and Human Services:
Patricia Roberts Harris (1979-1981) – Jimmy Carter
Margaret Heckler (1983-1985) – Ronald Reagan
Donna Shalala (1993-2001) – Bill Clinton
Transportation:
Elizabeth Dole (1983-1985) – Ronald Reagan
Maria Cino (acting 2006) – George W. Bush
Mary E. Peters (2006- ) – George W. Bush
Two women have headed the Departments of Education, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, and State:
Education:
Shirley Mount Hufstedler (1979-1981) – Jimmy Carter
Margaret Spellings (2005 - ) – George W. Bush
Housing and Urban Development:
Carla Anderson Hills (1975-1977) – Gerald Ford
Patricia Roberts Harris (1977-1979) – Jimmy Carter
State:
Madeleine K. Albright (1997-2001) – Bill Clinton
Condoleeza Rice (2005- ) – George W. Bush
One woman has headed: Health, Education and Welfare, Interior, Agriculture, Energy, and Attorney General:
Health, Education and Welfare:
Oveta Culp Hobby (1953-1955) – Dwight Eisenhower
Interior:
Gale A. Norton (2001-2006) – George W. Bush
Agriculture:
Ann M. Veneman (2001-2005) – George W. Bush
Energy:
Hazel O’Leary (1993-2001) – Bill Clinton
Attorney General:
Janet Reno (1993-2001) – Bill Clinton
Four women have headed the EPA (including one in a brief acting position):
Anne M. Burford (1981-1983) – Ronald Reagan
Carol M. Browner (1993-2001) – Bill Clinton
Christine Todd Whitman (2001-2003) – George W. Bush
Marianne Lamont Horinko (acting, 2003) – George W. Bush
Three women have been U.S. Trade Representatives:
Carla Anderson Hills (1989-1993) – George H.W. Bush
Charlene Barshevsky (1997-2001) – Bill Clinton
Susan Schwab (2006- ) – George W. Bush
Alice M. Rivlin (1994-1996) is the only woman to serve as head of the Office of Management and Budget, appointed by Bill Clinton.
Of the 32 women, 13 were selected by Democrats and 19 by Republicans. George W. Bush named 10 women to these top level positions, followed by Bill Clinton with 8 nominations. Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter each named 4, and George H.W. Bush named 3. Gerald Ford, Dwight Eisenhower and Franklin D. Roosevelt each named 1 woman. John F. Kennedy did not name any women to a Cabinet or Executive Advisory position.
What's also interesting is how many of these women went on to become directors at top U.S. public company boards.
Throughout history, we have had 24 women hold Cabinet level positions (including one who was an acting Secretary of Transportation for a brief period) We have had 8 women serve at Executive Advisor levels as U.S. Trade Representative, the Environmental Protection Agency (including one acting head for a brief period) and the Office of Management and Budget.
Six women have been Secretaries of Labor:
Three women have headed two other departments. In 1979, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare was split into the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Education Patricia Roberts Harris was the last Secretary of HEW (1979) and the first Secretary of HHS (1979-1981).
Health and Human Services:
Transportation:
Two women have headed the Departments of Education, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, and State:
Education:
Housing and Urban Development:
State:
One woman has headed: Health, Education and Welfare, Interior, Agriculture, Energy, and Attorney General:
Health, Education and Welfare:
Interior:
Agriculture:
Energy:
Attorney General:
Four women have headed the EPA (including one in a brief acting position):
Three women have been U.S. Trade Representatives:
Alice M. Rivlin (1994-1996) is the only woman to serve as head of the Office of Management and Budget, appointed by Bill Clinton.
Of the 32 women, 13 were selected by Democrats and 19 by Republicans. George W. Bush named 10 women to these top level positions, followed by Bill Clinton with 8 nominations. Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter each named 4, and George H.W. Bush named 3. Gerald Ford, Dwight Eisenhower and Franklin D. Roosevelt each named 1 woman. John F. Kennedy did not name any women to a Cabinet or Executive Advisory position.
What's also interesting is how many of these women went on to become directors at top U.S. public company boards.
# posted by ChampionBoards.com @ 11:12 AM 
