Chief Clerk (United States Department of State)

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The Chief Clerk, between 1789 and 1853, was the second-ranking official within the United States Department of State, known as the Department of Foreign Affairs before September 5, 1789. Section 2 of the Act of Congress of July 27, 1789 (1 Stat. 28) establishing a Department of Foreign Affairs, authorized the Secretary to appoint a Chief Clerk, who would have custody of the Department's records whenever the office of the Secretary should be vacant. From 1789 to 1853, when Congress created the position of Assistant Secretary of State, the Chief Clerk was the second-ranking officer of the Department of State, and was responsible for supervision of Department personnel, distribution of correspondence, and day-to-day operations.

All Chief Clerks were designated, not commissioned. After 1853, the Chief Clerk's duties included at various times custody of archives, distribution of correspondence, and supervision of Department personnel and property. The office was abolished on January 26, 1939, re-established August 6, 1942, as the Office of the Chief Clerk and Administrative Assistant, and abolished in the reorganization of January 15, 1944. Although the Chief Clerk was the second-ranking officer until 1853, the holder of the office of Chief Clerk did not always become Acting Secretary of State in the Secretary's absence, and sometimes that position was delegated to other Cabinet members.

List of Chief Clerks

All Chief Clerks were non-career appointees.

ListNameState of ResidencyTerm StartTerm EndNotes
1 Henry Remsen Jr. New York July 27, 1789December 31, 1789As Under Secretary of Foreign Affairs, was appointed Chief Clerk after creation of Department of Foreign Affairs.
2 Roger Alden Connecticut January 1, 1790July 25, 1790
3Henry Remsen Jr.New YorkSeptember 1, 1790March 31, 1792
4 George Taylor Jr. New YorkApril 1, 1792February 7, 1798
5 Jacob Wagner Pennsylvania February 8, 1798March 31, 1807
6 John Graham Virginia July 1, 1807July 18, 1817
7 Daniel Brent VirginiaSeptember 22, 1817August 22, 1833
8 Asbury Dickins North Carolina August 23, 1833December 12, 1836
9 Aaron Ogden Dayton New JerseyDecember 13, 1836June 25, 1838
10 Aaron Vail New YorkJune 26, 1838July 15, 1840
11 Jacob L. Martin North CarolinaJuly 16, 1840March 5, 1841
12 Daniel Fletcher Webster Massachusetts March 6, 1841April 23, 1843
13 William S. Derrick Pennsylvania April 24, 1843April 9, 1844
14 Richard K. Cralle VirginiaApril 10, 1844March 10, 1845
15William S. DerrickPennsylvaniaMarch 11, 1845August 27, 1845
16 Nicholas P. Trist VirginiaAugust 28, 1845April 14, 1847
17William S. DerrickPennsylvaniaApril 15, 1847January 25, 1848
18 John Appleton Maine January 26, 1848April 25, 1848
19William S. DerrickPennsylvaniaApril 25, 1848May 15, 1852
20 William Hunter Jr. Rhode Island May 17, 1852May 7, 1855Continued to serve as Chief Clerk after the appointment of A. Dudley Mann as Assistant Secretary of State.

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