Kenneth Claiborne Royall, the last United States Secretary of War, became the first Secretary of the Army when National Defense Act of 1947 took effect and was the last Army secretary to hold the cabinet status, which was henceforth assigned to the Secretary of Defense.
| Name | Term of Office | Served under |
|---|---|---|
| Kenneth Claiborne Royall | September 18, 1947 - April 27, 1949 | Harry S. Truman |
| Gordon Gray | June 20, 1949 - April 12, 1950 | |
| Frank Pace | April 12, 1950 - January 20, 1953 | |
| Robert TenBroek Stevens | February 4, 1953 - July 21, 1955 | |
| Wilber Marion Brucker | July 21, 1955 - January 19, 1961 | |
| Elvis Jacob Stahr, Jr | January 24, 1961 - June 30, 1962 | |
| Cyrus Roberts Vance | July 5, 1962 - January 21, 1964 | |
| Stephen Ailes | January 28, 1964 - July 1, 1965 | |
| Stanley R. Resor | July 2, 1965 - June 30, 1971 | |
| Robert F. Froehlke | July 1, 1971 - May 14, 1973 | |
| Howard H. Callaway | May 15, 1973 - July 3, 1975 | |
| Martin R. Hoffmann | August 5, 1975 - January 20, 1977 | |
| Clifford L. Alexander, Jr | February 14, 1977 - January 20, 1981 | |
| John O. Marsh, Jr | January 21, 1981 - August 13, 1989 | |
| Michael P.W. Stone | August 14, 1989 - January 20, 1993 | |
| Togo D. West, Jr | November 22, 1993 - December 2, 1997 | |
| Robert M. Walker (acting) | December 2, 1997 - July 2, 1998 | |
| Louis Caldera | July 2, 1998 - January 20, 2001 | |
| Gregory R. Dahlberg (acting) | January 20, 2001 - March 5, 2001 | |
| Joseph W. Westphal (acting) | March 5, 2001 - May 31, 2001 | |
| Thomas E. White | May 31, 2001 - May 9, 2003 |