Janet Yellen was recently nominated to head the Federal Reserve System, which would make her the first woman to lead the 100-year-old central bank. While there are hundreds of federal agencies, few major agencies have been headed by women. The graphic shows the number of female heads of various executive branch, legislative branch, and independent agencies over time, with some agencies like Labor and the Small Business Administration having more female leaders than others like Defense or Veterans Affairs.
1. 100 YEARS LEADING MAJOR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
President Obama recently nominated Janet L. Yellen to head the Federal Reserve System. If confirmed by the Senate,
Yellen would become the first woman to lead the 100-year-old central bank. There are hundreds of federal agencies and
commissions, but among some of the major agencies in the federal government, only a few are headed by women.
Male agency heads
EXECUTIVE
Female agency heads
LEGISLATIVE
Color denotes party
Color denotes majority party
EXECUTIVE BRANCH AGENCIES
1912
1916
1920
1924
Warren G.
Harding
Calvin
Coolidge
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
John F.
Kennedy
Lyndon B.
Johnson
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
President
Woodrow Wilson
Herbert
Hoover
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Harry S. Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Richard M. Nixon Gerald R.
Ford
James
Carter
Ronald Reagan
George H.W.
Bush
William J. Clinton
George W. Bush
Barack Obama
Number of Female Agency Heads
Since Establishment*
Department and Year Established
1
Justice, 1789
State, 1789
Treasury, 1789
3
0
Three of the last five Secretaries of State
have been women (Madeleine Albright,
Condoleezza Rice, and Hillary Clinton).
2
1
Interior, 1849
Agriculture, 1889
Commerce, 1913
Labor, 1913
3
6
Defense, 1947
Health and Human Services, 1953
0
5
Housing and Urban Development, 1965
2
Transportation, 1967
2
1
Energy, 1977
Education, 1979
Seven women have led the
Department of Labor, more than
any other cabinet position.
Elizabeth Dole served as the
Secretary of Labor (1989-1990) and the
Secretary of Transportation (1983-1987).
2
0
1
Veterans Affairs, 1987
Homeland Security, 2003
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH AGENCIES
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
Janet Napolitano resigned to head the
University of California in August 2013.
Jeh Johnson was nominated for Secretary
in October 2013.
2012
Senate
House of Representatives
Number of Female Agency Heads
Since Establishment*
Department and Year Established
Architect of the Capitol, 1793
0
Library of Congress, 1802
0
1
Government Printing Office, 1860
Copyright Office, 1897
3
Government Accountability Office, 1921
0
Congressional Budget Office, 1975
2
Two women have led the
Copyright Office since 1994.
Alice Rivlin was the first Director of the
Congressional Budget Office.
INDEPENDENT AGENCIES
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
Number of Female Agency Heads
Since Establishment*
Department and Year Established
Postal Service, 1789
0
Federal Reserve System, 1914
National Archives and Records Administration, 1934
0
0
Social Security Administration, 1946
4
General Services Administration, 1949
Small Business Administration, 1953**
2
4
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1958
Carolyn Colvin is currently serving
as Acting Commissioner of the
Social Security Administration.
0
Environmental Protection Agency, 1970
If confirmed, Janet L. Yellen will
head the Federal Reserve
System beginning in 2014.
5
**The Small Business Administration was a cabinet-level
agency under President Clinton. The agency was again
elevated to the cabinet by President Obama in 2012.
Sources: Wikipedia, http://go.usa.gov/WXVw, http://go.usa.gov/WXVQ,
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0774721.html, http://go.usa.gov/WXpx
policyviz
www.policyviz.com
* Acting heads of agencies are
not included in this graphic.
Publication date: November 2013
Author: Jonathan Schwabish (@jschwabish)