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Women Members Who Became Cabinet Members and United States Diplomats

Through the opening of the 111th Congress (2009–2011), 14 congresswomen have been appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Foreign Ministers, Ambassadors, and Cabinet Secretaries. This chronological list includes nine Representatives and two Senators. Of them, only Representative Margaret Heckler (R-MA, 1967–1983) served as both a Cabinet Secretary and an Ambassador. Senator Elizabeth Dole (R–NC, 2003–2009) served in two different Cabinet Secretary positions under two different Presidents.

First Administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt

Member Name	Position
Ruth Bryan Owen	United States Minister to Denmark, 1933–1936

Second Adminstration of Harry S. Truman

Member Name	Position
Emily Taft Douglas	United States Representative to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 1950

First Administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower

Member Name	Position
Clare Boothe Luce	United States Ambassador to Italy, 1953–1957

Second Administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower

Member Name	Position
Clare Boothe Luce	United States Ambassador to Brazil, 1959–1959*

Adminstraton of John F. Kennedy

Member Name	Position
Kathryn E. Granahan	Secretary of the Treasury, 1963–1967**

First Administration of Lyndon B. Johnson

Member Name	Position
Kathryn E. Granahan	Secretary of the Treasury, 1963–1967**

First Administration of Ronald Reagan

Member Name	Position
Elizabeth Dole	Secretary of Transportation, 1983–1987
Millicent Fenwick	United States Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture, 1983–1985
Margaret M. Heckler	Secretary of Health & Human Services, 1983–1985

Second Adminstratuion of Ronald Reagan

Member Name	Position
Margaret M. Heckler	United States Ambassador to Ireland, 1986–1989

Adminstration of George H. W. Bush

Member Name	Position
Elizabeth Dole	Secretary of Labor, 1989–1990
Lynn Martin	Secretary of Labor, 1991–1993

Second Administration of Willam Jefferson Clinton

Member Name	Position
Corinne Claiborne (Lindy) Boggs	United States Ambassador to the Vatican, 1997–2001
Carol Moseley-Braun	United States Ambassador to New Zealand, 1999–2001
Carol Moseley-Braun	United States Ambassador to Samoa, 1999–2001

First Administration of George W. Bush

Member Name	Position
Constance A. Morella	United States Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2003–2004

Second Administration of George W. Bush

Member Name	Position
Constance A. Morella	United States Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2004–2007

Adminstration of Barack Obama

Member Name	Position
Hillary Rodham Clinton	Secretary of State, 2009–
Hilda L. Solis	Secretary of Labor, 2009–
Ellen O’Kane Tauscher	Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, Department of State, 2009–

* Clare Boothe Luce was confirmed for Ambassador to Brazil by the Senate, but resigned before her sevice began.
** Kathryn E. Granahan was appointed by President John F. Kennedy and continued to serve under President Lyndon B. Johnson