Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Last updated
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Seal of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.svg
Seal of the Secretary of the Commonwealth
Al Schmidt.jpg
Incumbent
Al Schmidt
since June 29, 2023 [a]
TypeSecretary
Appointer Governor
Formation1777
First holder Timothy Matlack
Website Official website

The secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (equivalent to "secretary of state") administers the Pennsylvania Department of State of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Contents

Unlike many other states which elect the secretary of state, in Pennsylvania, the secretary is appointed by the governor subject to confirmation by the State Senate. [1] The current secretary of the Commonwealth is Republican Al Schmidt, who was appointed by governor Josh Shapiro. [2]

Responsibilities

The Pennsylvania Department of State protects the public's health, safety, and welfare by licensing more than one million business, health, and real estate professionals; maintaining registration and financial information for thousands of charities soliciting contributions from Pennsylvanians; overseeing Pennsylvania's electoral process; maintaining corporate filings; and sanctioning professional boxing, kick–boxing and wrestling in the commonwealth.

The secretary is the keeper of the Great Seal of the Commonwealth and authenticates government documents through the seal's use. The secretary is also the commonwealth's chief election official.

Structure of the Department of State

The Pennsylvania Department of State consists of six bureaus: [3]

Boards and commissions

List of secretaries of the Commonwealth

ImageNameDates servedAppointed by
Timothy Matlack.jpg Timothy Matlack 1777–1783 Thomas Wharton Jr.
John Armstrong Jr Rembrandt Peale.jpg John Armstrong, Jr. 1783–1787 John Dickinson
Charles Biddle. Vice Pres't of the Supreme Exece. Counl. of Pennsylvania - DMS (monogram). LCCN2016649133.jpg Charles Biddle 1787–1791 Benjamin Franklin
Alexander James Dallas (1791-1844).png Alexander J. Dallas 1791–1801 Thomas Mifflin
Thomas McKean Thompson1801–1808 Thomas McKean
Nathaniel B. Boileau1808–1817 Simon Snyder
Thomas Sergeant1817–1819 William Findlay
SIng.jpg Samuel D. Ingham 1819–1820
AndrewGregg.jpg Andrew Gregg 1820–1823 Joseph Hiester
Molton C. Rogers1823–1826 John Andrew Shulze
Isaac Barnard.jpg Isaac D. Barnard 1826–1827
Calvin Blythe1827–1829
SamuelMcKean.jpg Samuel McKean 1829–1833 George Wolf
James Findley1833–1835
Thomas Henry Burrowes.jpg Thomas Henry Burrowes 1835–1839 Joseph Ritner
FrancisShunk.jpg Francis R. Shunk 1839–1842David R. Porter
Anson V. Parsons1842–1843
Charles McClure1843–1845
Jesse Miller1845–1848 Francis R. Shunk
Townsend Haines 1848–1850 William F. Johnston
Alexander L. Russel1850–1852
Francis W. Hughes1852–1853 William Bigler
Charles A Black1853–1855
Abraham Lincoln (1897) (14591313577).jpg Andrew Gregg Curtin 1855–1858 James Pollock
William M. Heister1858–1861 William F. Packer
Eli Slifer1861–1867 Andrew Gregg Curtin
Francis Jordan1867–1873 John W. Geary
MatthewQuay.jpg Matthew S. Quay 1873–1878 John F. Hartranft
John Blair Linn1878–1879
MatthewQuay.jpg Matthew S. Quay 1879–1882 Henry M. Hoyt
Francis Jordan1882–1883
William Stenger - Brady-Handy.jpg William S. Stenger 1883–1887 Robert E. Pattison
CharlesWarrenStone.jpg Charles Warren Stone 1887–1890 James A. Beaver
Jacob H. Longnecker1890–1891
William Francis Harrity.png William F. Harrity 1891–1895 Robert E. Pattison
Frank Reeder1895–1897 Daniel H. Hastings
David Martin1897–1899
William W. Griest (Pennsylvania Congressman).jpg William Walton Griest 1899–1903 William A. Stone
Frank M. Fuller1903–1905 Samuel W. Pennypacker
Robert B. McAfee1905–1915
Cyrus Woods 2.jpg Cyrus Woods 1915–1921 Martin Grove Brumbaugh
Bernard J. Myers1921–1923 William Cameron Sproul
Clyde L. King1923–1926 Gifford Pinchot
E. H. Conarroe1926–1927
Charles Johnson1927–1929 John Stuchell Fisher
Robert R. Lewis1929–1930
James Walker1930–1931
Richard J. Beamish 1931–1934 Gifford Pinchot
John J. Owen1934–1935
David L. Lawrence (1).jpg David L. Lawrence 1935–1939 George Earle
Sophia O'Hara 1939–1943 Arthur James
Charles M. Morrison1943–1949 Edward Martin
Gene D. Smith1949–1955 James H. Duff
James A. Finnegan1955 Edward Martin
Henry Harner1955–1956 George M. Leader
James A. Finnegan1956–1958
John S Rice (1964).jpg John S. Rice 1958–1961
E. James Trimarchi1961–1963 David L. Lawrence
George I. Bloom1963–1965 William Scranton
W. Stuart Helm1965–1967
Craig Truax1967–1968 Raymond P. Shafer
Joseph J. Kelley1968–1971
C. Delores Tucker.jpg C. Delores Tucker 1971–1977 Milton Shapp
James D. Golden1977
Barton A. Fields1977–1979
Ethel D. Allen 1979 Dick Thornburgh
William R. Davis1979–1985
Richard E. Anderson1985
Robert A Gleason, Jr. 1985–1987
James J. Haggerty1987–1989 Bob Casey Sr.
Christopher A. Lewis 1989–1991
Brenda K. Mitchell1992–1994
Robert N. Grant1994–1995
Yvette Kane 1995–1998 Tom Ridge
Kim Pizzingrilli 1999–2002
C. Michael Weaver2002–2003 Mark Schweiker
Cortes-nass.jpg Pedro Cortés 2003–2010 Ed Rendell
Basil L. Merenda2010–2011
Carol Aichele 2011–2015 Tom Corbett
Cortes-nass.jpg Pedro Cortés2015–2017 Tom Wolf
Robert Torres2017–2019
Wolf Administration Holds Evening Election Update Press Conference (50569909631) (cropped).jpg Kathy Boockvar 2019–2021
Veronica Degraffenreid (acting)2021–2022
Gov. Wolf Expands Voter Registration Access for Eligible Pennsylvanians (52342202250) (cropped).jpg Leigh M. Chapman (acting)2022–2023
Al Schmidt 2021 (cropped).jpg Al Schmidt 2023–present Josh Shapiro

See also

Notes

  1. Acting: January 17, 2023 – June 29, 2023

References

  1. "About Us". Pennsylvania Department of State. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  2. "Governor Shapiro's Nominees for Secretary at Departments of Human Services, Revenue, and State Take Office" (Press release). Governor Josh Shapiro. 2023-06-29. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
  3. "PA Department of State History". Pennsylvania Department of State. Retrieved 26 October 2022.