How many Secretaries of State have become President as of 2015?

Six Secretaries of State have become Presidents as of 2015; including five of the first ten Secretaries - Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Quincy Adams, and Van Buren. A former Secretary has not been elected President in 156 years since James Buchanan's appointment under Polk in 1845.

1. Thomas Jefferson: SoS (1789-94), PotUS (1801-09)

2. James Madison: SoS (1801–09), PotUS (1809–17)

3. James Monroe: (1811-14), PotUS (1817-25)

4. John Quincy Adams: SoS (1817–25), PotUS (1825–29)

5. Martin Van Buren: SoS (1829-31), PotUS (1837–1841)

6. James Buchanan: SoS (1845-49), PotUS (1857–61)

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9 Comments

james parrillo

pscmontana, I suppose they would have been counted and listed, if there were any in the 20th century. Thank you, Christine, James' wife

Mark Wheeless

We dodged a bullet recently. Just sayin.

skrueger

jonbroberts, If that was true, then John Tyler would never have been President. Daniel Webster would have been the tenth president as he was the Secretary of State for William Henry Harrison in 1841.

John W Shreve

Mike Pompeo might be going for it now.

William Laughlin

kopackorl, LOL! You actually think the uninformed, inept, sexist, misogynistic, homophobic, xenophobic, bigoted, orange moron was a better choice? How is that Kool-Aid?