Director of the United States Secret Service

Director of the United States Secret Service
Emblem of the Secret Service
Flag of the Secret Service
Incumbent Sean Curran since January 22, 2025
United States Secret Service
Reports to	Secretary of Homeland Security
Seat	Washington, D.C.
Appointer	President of the United States Sole decision of the President
Term length	At the pleasure of the President
Formation	July 5, 1865(159 years ago) (1865-07-05)
First holder	William P. Wood (as chief)
Deputy	Darryl S. Volpicelli (Acting)
Website	www.secretservice.gov

The director of the United States Secret Service is the head of the United States Secret Service, and is responsible for the day-to-day operations.

The Secret Service is a federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. ^{[1] [2]} The service is mandated by the U.S. Congress to carry out a unique dual mission: safeguarding the financial and critical infrastructure of the United States, and protecting the nation's leaders. ^{[3] [4] [1]}

The director is appointed by, and serves at the pleasure of, the president of the United States, and is not subject to Senate confirmation. ^[5] The director reports to the secretary of homeland security, and operates with the general directions thereof. Prior to March 1, 2003, the Secret Service was a part of the United States Department of the Treasury. ^{[2] [6]}

History

President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation creating the Secret Service on April 14, 1865, the day of his assassination. ^[7] It was commissioned on July 5, 1865, in Washington, D.C., as the "Secret Service Division" of the Department of the Treasury. ^[8] After being appointed by President Andrew Johnson, William P. Wood was sworn in as the first chief of the Secret Service on July 5, 1865, by Secretary of the Treasury Hugh McCulloch. ^[9]

When the Secret Service was established, its head was called the chief of the Secret Service. In 1965, the title was changed to the director of the Secret Service, four years into the term of James Joseph Rowley (1961–1973). ^[9] The longest-serving head of the Secret Service was William H. Moran, who served under five presidents from 1917 to 1936.

On March 27, 2013, President Barack Obama appointed Julia Pierson to be the twenty-third director of the Secret Service. ^[10] She became the first female director of the agency. ^[11] On October 1, 2014, the Secret Service leadership changed to Director Joseph Clancy, a retired agent who formerly led the Presidential Protective Division. On March 4, 2017, Director Joseph Clancy retired, leaving the position vacant until a replacement was nominated by President Donald Trump. ^[12] Meanwhile, William J. Callahan served as acting director of the United States Secret Service from March 4, 2017, to April 25, 2017. Randolph Alles, former acting deputy commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, was appointed director by Trump. ^[13]

List of chiefs and directors

No.	Picture	Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office	President appointed by
1		Wood, William William P. Wood (1820–1903)	July 5, 1865	1869	3–4 years	Johnson, Andrew Andrew Johnson
2		Whitley, Hiram Hiram C. Whitley (1834–1919)	1869	1874	4–5 years	Grant, Ulysses Ulysses S. Grant
3		Washburn, Elmer Elmer Washburn (1839–1897)	1874	1876	1–2 years	Grant, Ulysses Ulysses S. Grant
4		Brooks, JamesJames Brooks (1824–1895)	1876	1888	11–12 years	Hayes, Rutherford Rutherford B. Hayes
5		Bell, JohnJohn S. Bell (1844–1917)	1888	1890	1–2 years	Cleveland, Grover Grover Cleveland
6		Drummond, Andrew Andrew L. Drummond (1845–1921)	1891	1894	2–3 years	Harrison, Benjamin Benjamin Harrison
7		Hazen, William William P. Hazen (1840–1923)	1894	1898	3–4 years	Cleveland, GroverGrover Cleveland
8		Wilkie, John John Wilkie (1860–1934)	1898	1911	12–13 years	McKinley, William William McKinley
9		Flynn, William William J. Flynn (1867–1928)	1912	1917	4–5 years	Taft, William William Howard Taft
10		Moran, William William H. Moran (1862–1946)	1917	1936	18–19 years	Wilson, Woodrow Woodrow Wilson
11		Wilson, Frank Frank J. Wilson (1887–1970)	1937	1946	8–9 years	Roosevelt, Franklin Franklin D. Roosevelt
12		Maloney, James James J. Maloney (1896–1959)	1946	1948	1–2 years	Truman, Harry Harry Truman
13		Baughman, Urbanus U. E. Baughman (1905–1978)	November 29, 1948	August 31, 1961	12 years	Truman, Harry Harry Truman
14		Rowley, James James Joseph Rowley (1908–1992)	September 1, 1961	October 1973	12 years	Kennedy, John John F. Kennedy
15		Knight, H. H. Stuart Knight (1921–2009)	November 7, 1973	November 30, 1981	8 years	Nixon, Richard Richard Nixon
16		Simpson, John John R. Simpson (1932–2017)	1981	1992	10–11 years	Reagan, Ronald Ronald Reagan
17		Magaw, John John Magaw (born 1935)	1992	1993	0–1	Bush, George George H. W. Bush
18		Bowron, Eljay Eljay B. Bowron (born 1951)	December 7, 1993	April 2, 1997	3	Clinton, Bill Bill Clinton
19		Merletti, Lewis Lewis C. Merletti (born 1948)	June 6, 1997	March 3, 1999	2 years	Clinton, BillBill Clinton
20		Stafford, Brian Brian L. Stafford (born c. 1959)	March 4, 1999	January 24, 2003	3 years	Clinton, BillBill Clinton
21		Basham, W. W. Ralph Basham (born 1943)	January 27, 2003	May 30, 2006	3 years	Bush, George George W. Bush
22		Sullivan, Mark Mark J. Sullivan (born c.1955)	May 31, 2006	March 27, 2013	6 years	Bush, GeorgeGeorge W. Bush
23		Pierson, Julia Julia Pierson (born 1959)	March 27, 2013	October 1, 2014	1 year	Obama, Barack Barack Obama
24		Clancy, Joseph Joseph Clancy (born 1955)	October 1, 2014	March 4, 2017	2 years	Obama, BarackBarack Obama
–		Callahan, William J.William J. Callahan Acting	March 4, 2017	April 25, 2017	52 days	Trump, Donald Donald Trump
25		Alles, Randolph Randolph Alles (born 1954)	April 25, 2017	May 1, 2019	2 years	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump
26		Murray, James M. James M. Murray (born c. 1968)	May 1, 2019	September 17, 2022	3 years	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump
27		Cheatle, Kimberly Kimberly Cheatle (born 1972)	September 17, 2022	July 23, 2024	1 year	Biden, Joe Joe Biden
–		Rowe, Ronald L. Ronald L. Rowe Jr. Acting	July 23, 2024	January 22, 2025	183 days	Biden, JoeJoe Biden
28		Curran, Sean Sean Curran	January 22, 2025	present	23 days	Trump, DonaldDonald Trump

See also

• United States portal
• Politics portal

• Chief, IRS Criminal Investigation
• Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
• Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Director of the United States Marshals Service
• Federal law enforcement in the United States

References

1. "Records of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS)". National Archives and Records Administration . Retrieved March 31, 2013.
2. Resse, Shawn (April 16, 2012). "The U.S. Secret Service: An Examination and Analysis of Its Evolving Missions" (PDF). Congressional Research Service . Retrieved March 31, 2013.
3. "United States Secret Service: Investigative Mission". United States Secret Service. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
4. "United States Secret Service: Employment Opportunities - Uniformed Officer". United States Secret Service. Archived from the original on April 14, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
5. "Secret Service veteran first woman to lead it". The Boston Globe . March 27, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
6. On March 1, 2003, the Secret Service was transferred from United States Department of the Treasury to the United States Department of Homeland Security, pursuant to the Homeland Security Act of 2002.
7. "A Brief History Of: The Secret Service". Time . November 20, 2008. Archived from the original on November 21, 2008. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
8. "The U.S. Secret Service in History". National Archives and Records Administration. 1998. Archived from the original on March 8, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
9. "Secret Service History". United States Service. Archived from the original on February 19, 2010. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
10. "President Obama Announces A Key Administration Post". whitehouse.gov . March 26, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013– via National Archives.
11. "Obama to name Julia Pierson as new Secret Service director". Washington Post. March 26, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
12. US Secret Service (February 14, 2017). "Retirement of Director Joseph P. Clancy" (PDF). US Secret Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 27, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
13. "Randolph D. Alles appointed 25th Director of the United States Secret Service" (PDF) (Press release). April 25, 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 4, 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2017.

External links

• Official website