The Secretary of Health, Education, & Welfare was the head of the United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare. The Secretary was a member of the President's Cabinet. In 1979, there was a division of the Secretary of Health, Education, & Welfare's position into separate secretaries of Health & Human Services and Education.
| Name | Year appointed | President(s) served under |
|---|---|---|
| Oveta Culp Hobby | 1953 - 1955 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Marion Bayard Folsom | 1955 - 1958 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Arthur Sherwood Flemming | 1958 - 1961 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Abraham Alexander Ribicoff | 1961 - 1962 | John F. Kennedy |
| Anthony Joseph Celebrezze | 1962 - 1965 | John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson |
| John William Gardner | 1965 - 1968 | Lyndon Johnson |
| Wilbur Joseph Cohen | 1968 - 1969 | Lyndon Johnson |
| Robert Hutchinson Finch | 1969 - 1970 | Richard Nixon |
| Elliot Lee Richardson | 1970 - 1973 | Richard Nixon |
| Caspar Willard Weinburger | 1973 - 1975 | Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford |
| Forrest David Matthews | 1975 - 1977 | Gerald Ford |
| Joseph Anthony Califano | 1977 - 1979 | Jimmy Carter |
| Patricia Roberts Harris | 1979 - 1979 | Jimmy Carter |
