Women Members Who Served As Cabinet Members and United States Diplomats
To date, 16 congresswomen have served as Foreign Ministers, Ambassadors, and Cabinet Secretaries. This chronological list includes 10 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.
| Member Name | Presidential Administration | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Ruth Bryan Owen | First Administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt | United States Minister to Denmark, 1933–1936 |
| Emily Taft Douglas | Second Administration of Harry S. Truman | United States Representative to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 1950 |
| Clare Boothe Luce | First Administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower | United States Ambassador to Italy, 1953–1957 |
| Clare Boothe Luce | Second Administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower | United States Ambassador to Brazil, 1959–1959* |
| Kathryn E. Granahan | Administration of John. F Kennedy | Secretary of the Treasury, 1963–1967** |
| Kathryn E. Granahan | First Administration of Lyndon B. Johnson | Secretary of the Treasury, 1963–1967** |
| Elizabeth Dole | First Administration of Ronald Reagan | Secretary of Transportation, 1983–1987 |
| Millicent Fenwick | First Administration of Ronald Reagan | United States Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture, 1983–1985 |
| Margaret M. Heckler | First Administration of Ronald Reagan | Secretary of Health & Human Services, 1983–1985 |
| Margaret M. Heckler | Second Administration of Ronald Reagan | United States Ambassador to Ireland, 1986–1989 |
| Elizabeth Dole | Administration of George H.W. Bush | Secretary of Labor, 1989–1990 |
| Lynn Martin | Administration of George H.W. Bush | Secretary of Labor, 1991–1993 |
| Donna Shalala | First and Second Administration of William Jefferson Clinton | Secretary of Health and Human Services, 1993–2001 |
| Corinne Claiborne (Lindy) Boggs | Second Administration of William Jefferson Clinton | United States Ambassador to the Vatican, 1997–2001 |
| Carol Moseley-Braun | Second Administration of William Jefferson Clinton | United States Ambassador to New Zealand, 1999–2001 |
| Carol Moseley-Braun | Second Administration of William Jefferson Clinton | United States Ambassador to Samoa, 1999–2001 |
| Diane Watson | Second Administration of William Jefferson Clinton | United States Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia, 1999–2000 |
| Constance A. Morella | First Administration of George W. Bush | United States Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2003–2004 |
| Constance A. Morella | Second Administration of George W. Bush | United States Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2004–2007 |
| Hillary Rodham Clinton | First Administration of Barack Obama | Secretary of State, 2009–2013 |
| Hilda L. Solis | First Administration of Barack Obama | Secretary of Labor, 2009–2013 |
| Ellen O’Kane Tauscher | First Administration of Barack Obama | Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, Department of State, 2009–2012 |
* 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