Which U.S. president was the first to have an official Cabinet?

The tradition of the Cabinet dates back to the beginnings of the Presidency itself. Established in Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, the Cabinet's role is to advise the President on any subject relating to the duties of each Cabinet member's respective office. George Washington, the first President of the United States, appointed a Cabinet of four people to advise him and to assist him in carrying out his duties: Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson; Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton; Secretary of War Henry Knox; and Attorney General Edmund Randolph.

Today, the Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments — the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Attorney General. All Cabinet members solely serve at the pleasure of the U.S. President.