All departments are headed by a secretary, except the Department of Justice, which is headed by the attorney general.

Department of Agriculture: Created in 1862.

Department of Commerce: Created in 1903. The Department of Commerce and Labor split into two separate departments in 1913.

Department of Defense: Amalgamated in 1947. The Department of Defense was established by combining the Department of War (established in 1789), the Department of the Navy (established in 1798), and the Department of the Air Force (established in 1947). Although the secretary of defense is a member of the cabinet, the secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force are not.

Department of Education: Created in 1979. Formerly part of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

Department of Energy: Created in 1977.

Department of Health and Human Services: Created in 1979, when the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (created in 1953) was split into separate entities.

Department of Housing and Urban Development: Created in 1965.

Department of the Interior: Created in 1849.

Department of Justice: Created in 1870. Between 1789 and 1870, the attorney general was a member of the cabinet, but not the head of a department.

Department of Labor: Created in 1913.

Department of State: Created in 1789.

Department of Transportation: Created in 1966.

Department of the Treasury: Created in 1789.

Department of Veterans Affairs: Created in 1989, when the Veterans Administration was elevated to cabinet level.

Custom Search

Source: U.S. Department of State