List of presidents of the United States by other offices held
Updated: 5/20/2026, 8:11:14 PM Wikipedia source
This is a list of presidents of the United States by other offices (either elected or appointed) held. Every president except Donald Trump has served as at least one of the following:
a member of the presidential cabinet (either vice president or cabinet secretary) a member of Congress (either U . senator or representative) a governor of a state a general of the United States Army
Tables
· Federal government › Executive branch › Vice presidents
John Adams
John Adams
Vice President
John Adams
President served under
George Washington
Year(s) served
1789–1797
Notes
Incumbent vice president succeeded Washington after winning the 1796 election
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Vice President
Thomas Jefferson
President served under
John Adams
Year(s) served
1797–1801
Notes
Incumbent vice president succeeded Adams after winning the 1800 election
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren
Vice President
Martin Van Buren
President served under
Andrew Jackson
Year(s) served
1833–1837
Notes
Incumbent vice president succeeded Jackson after winning the 1836 election
John Tyler
John Tyler
Vice President
John Tyler
President served under
William Henry Harrison
Year(s) served
1841
Notes
Became president after Harrison's death, ran for election in 1844 as nominee of Democratic Party before dropping out and endorsing Polk, the eventual winner
Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore
Vice President
Millard Fillmore
President served under
Zachary Taylor
Year(s) served
1849–1850
Notes
Became president after Taylor's death, lost nomination for Whig Party in 1852 election bid, later also ran unsuccessfully in the 1856 election
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Vice President
Andrew Johnson
President served under
Abraham Lincoln
Year(s) served
1865
Notes
Became president after Lincoln's assassination, lost nomination for the Democratic Party in 1868 election bid
Chester A. Arthur
Chester A. Arthur
Vice President
Chester A. Arthur
President served under
James A. Garfield
Year(s) served
1881
Notes
Became president after Garfield's assassination, failed to secure the Republican Party nomination in 1884 election bid
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Vice President
Theodore Roosevelt
President served under
William McKinley
Year(s) served
1901
Notes
Became president after McKinley's assassination, later elected to own term in 1904
Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
Vice President
Calvin Coolidge
President served under
Warren G. Harding
Year(s) served
1921–1923
Notes
Became president after Harding's death, later elected to own term in 1924
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Vice President
Harry S. Truman
President served under
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Year(s) served
1945
Notes
Became president after Roosevelt's death, later elected to own term in 1948
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Vice President
Richard Nixon
President served under
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Year(s) served
1953–1961
Notes
Lost as incumbent vice president in the 1960 election, later ran and won the 1968 election becoming the first former vice president to win the presidency
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Vice President
Lyndon B. Johnson
President served under
John F. Kennedy
Year(s) served
1961–1963
Notes
Became president after Kennedy's assassination, later elected to own term in 1964
Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Vice President
Gerald Ford
President served under
Richard Nixon
Year(s) served
1973–1974
Notes
Became president after Nixon's resignation, lost the 1976 election in bid for own term
George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
Vice President
George H. W. Bush
President served under
Ronald Reagan
Year(s) served
1981–1989
Notes
Incumbent vice president succeeded Reagan after winning the 1988 election
Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Vice President
Joe Biden
President served under
Barack Obama
Year(s) served
2009–2017
Notes
Did not run as incumbent vice president in the 2016 election, later ran and won the 2020 election becoming the second former vice president to win the presidency
| Vice President | President served under | Year(s) served | Notes |
| John Adams | George Washington | 1789–1797 | Incumbent vice president succeeded Washington after winning the 1796 election |
| Thomas Jefferson | John Adams | 1797–1801 | Incumbent vice president succeeded Adams after winning the 1800 election |
| Martin Van Buren | Andrew Jackson | 1833–1837 | Incumbent vice president succeeded Jackson after winning the 1836 election |
| John Tyler | William Henry Harrison | 1841 | Became president after Harrison's death, ran for election in 1844 as nominee of Democratic Party before dropping out and endorsing Polk, the eventual winner |
| Millard Fillmore | Zachary Taylor | 1849–1850 | Became president after Taylor's death, lost nomination for Whig Party in 1852 election bid, later also ran unsuccessfully in the 1856 election |
| Andrew Johnson | Abraham Lincoln | 1865 | Became president after Lincoln's assassination, lost nomination for the Democratic Party in 1868 election bid |
| Chester A. Arthur | James A. Garfield | 1881 | Became president after Garfield's assassination, failed to secure the Republican Party nomination in 1884 election bid |
| Theodore Roosevelt | William McKinley | 1901 | Became president after McKinley's assassination, later elected to own term in 1904 |
| Calvin Coolidge | Warren G. Harding | 1921–1923 | Became president after Harding's death, later elected to own term in 1924 |
| Harry S. Truman | Franklin D. Roosevelt | 1945 | Became president after Roosevelt's death, later elected to own term in 1948 |
| Richard Nixon | Dwight D. Eisenhower | 1953–1961 | Lost as incumbent vice president in the 1960 election, later ran and won the 1968 election becoming the first former vice president to win the presidency |
| Lyndon B. Johnson | John F. Kennedy | 1961–1963 | Became president after Kennedy's assassination, later elected to own term in 1964 |
| Gerald Ford | Richard Nixon | 1973–1974 | Became president after Nixon's resignation, lost the 1976 election in bid for own term |
| George H. W. Bush | Ronald Reagan | 1981–1989 | Incumbent vice president succeeded Reagan after winning the 1988 election |
| Joe Biden | Barack Obama | 2009–2017 | Did not run as incumbent vice president in the 2016 election, later ran and won the 2020 election becoming the second former vice president to win the presidency |
· Federal government › Executive branch › Cabinet secretaries
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Secretary
Thomas Jefferson
Office
Secretary of State
President served under
George Washington
Year(s) served
1790–1793
James Madison
James Madison
Secretary
James Madison
Office
Thomas Jefferson
President served under
1801–1809
James Monroe
James Monroe
Secretary
James Monroe
Office
James Madison
President served under
1811–1817
Secretary of War
Secretary of War
Secretary
Secretary of War
Office
1814–1815
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
Secretary
John Quincy Adams
Office
Secretary of State
President served under
James Monroe
Year(s) served
1817–1825
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren
Secretary
Martin Van Buren
Office
Andrew Jackson
President served under
1829–1831
James Buchanan
James Buchanan
Secretary
James Buchanan
Office
James K. Polk
President served under
1845–1849
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Secretary
Ulysses S. Grant
Office
Acting Secretary of War
President served under
Andrew Johnson
Year(s) served
1867–1868
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
Secretary
William Howard Taft
Office
Secretary of War
President served under
Theodore Roosevelt
Year(s) served
1904–1908
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Secretary
Herbert Hoover
Office
Secretary of Commerce
President served under
Warren G. Harding
Year(s) served
1921–1928
Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
Secretary
Calvin Coolidge
| Secretary | Office | President served under | Year(s) served |
| Thomas Jefferson | Secretary of State | George Washington | 1790–1793 |
| James Madison | Thomas Jefferson | 1801–1809 | |
| James Monroe | James Madison | 1811–1817 | |
| Secretary of War | 1814–1815 | ||
| John Quincy Adams | Secretary of State | James Monroe | 1817–1825 |
| Martin Van Buren | Andrew Jackson | 1829–1831 | |
| James Buchanan | James K. Polk | 1845–1849 | |
| Ulysses S. Grant | Acting Secretary of War | Andrew Johnson | 1867–1868 |
| William Howard Taft | Secretary of War | Theodore Roosevelt | 1904–1908 |
| Herbert Hoover | Secretary of Commerce | Warren G. Harding | 1921–1928 |
| Calvin Coolidge |
· Federal government › Executive branch › Ambassadors
John Adams
John Adams
President
John Adams
Position
Minister to Britain
President served under
Congress of the Confederation
Year(s) served
1785–1788
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
President
Thomas Jefferson
Position
Minister Plenipotentiary to France
President served under
1785–1789
James Monroe
James Monroe
President
James Monroe
Position
George Washington
President served under
1794–1796
Minister to Britain
Minister to Britain
President
Minister to Britain
Position
Thomas Jefferson
President served under
1803–1807
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
President
John Quincy Adams
Position
Minister to the Netherlands
President served under
George Washington
John Adams
Year(s) served
1794–1797
Minister to Germany
Minister to Germany
President
Minister to Germany
Position
John Adams
President served under
1797–1801
Minister to Russia
Minister to Russia
President
Minister to Russia
Position
James Madison
President served under
1809–1814
Minister to Britain
Minister to Britain
President
Minister to Britain
Position
James Madison
President served under
1815–1817
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren
President
Martin Van Buren
Position
Andrew Jackson
President served under
1831–1832
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
President
William Henry Harrison
Position
Minister to Gran Colombia
President served under
John Quincy Adams
Year(s) served
1828–1829
James Buchanan
James Buchanan
President
James Buchanan
Position
Minister to Britain
President served under
Franklin Pierce
Year(s) served
1853–1856
George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
President
George H. W. Bush
Position
Ambassador to the United Nations
President served under
Richard Nixon
Year(s) served
1971–1973
Chief of the U . Liaison Office in Beijing
Chief of the U . Liaison Office in Beijing
President
Chief of the U . Liaison Office in Beijing
Position
Gerald Ford
President served under
1974–1975
| President | Position | President served under | Year(s) served |
| John Adams | Minister to Britain | Congress of the Confederation | 1785–1788 |
| Thomas Jefferson | Minister Plenipotentiary to France | 1785–1789 | |
| James Monroe | George Washington | 1794–1796 | |
| Minister to Britain | Thomas Jefferson | 1803–1807 | |
| John Quincy Adams | Minister to the Netherlands | George Washington John Adams | 1794–1797 |
| Minister to Germany | John Adams | 1797–1801 | |
| Minister to Russia | James Madison | 1809–1814 | |
| Minister to Britain | James Madison | 1815–1817 | |
| Martin Van Buren | Andrew Jackson | 1831–1832 | |
| William Henry Harrison | Minister to Gran Colombia | John Quincy Adams | 1828–1829 |
| James Buchanan | Minister to Britain | Franklin Pierce | 1853–1856 |
| George H. W. Bush | Ambassador to the United Nations | Richard Nixon | 1971–1973 |
| Chief of the U . Liaison Office in Beijing | Gerald Ford | 1974–1975 |
· Federal government › Executive branch › Other federal appointees
Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce
President
Franklin Pierce
Office
United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire
President appointed by
James K. Polk
Year(s) served
1845–1847
Chester A. Arthur
Chester A. Arthur
President
Chester A. Arthur
Office
Collector of the Port of New York
President appointed by
Ulysses S. Grant
Year(s) served
1871–1878
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
President
Theodore Roosevelt
Office
Member, United States Civil Service Commission
President appointed by
Benjamin Harrison
Year(s) served
1889–1895
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
President
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Office
William McKinley
President appointed by
1897–1898
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
President
William Howard Taft
Office
Solicitor General
President appointed by
Benjamin Harrison
Year(s) served
1890–1892
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Office
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
President appointed by
Woodrow Wilson
Year(s) served
1913–1920
George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
President
George H. W. Bush
Office
Director of Central Intelligence
President appointed by
Gerald Ford
Year(s) served
1976–1977
| President | Office | President appointed by | Year(s) served |
| Franklin Pierce | United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire | James K. Polk | 1845–1847 |
| Chester A. Arthur | Collector of the Port of New York | Ulysses S. Grant | 1871–1878 |
| Theodore Roosevelt | Member, United States Civil Service Commission | Benjamin Harrison | 1889–1895 |
| Assistant Secretary of the Navy | William McKinley | 1897–1898 | |
| William Howard Taft | Solicitor General | Benjamin Harrison | 1890–1892 |
| Franklin D. Roosevelt | Assistant Secretary of the Navy | Woodrow Wilson | 1913–1920 |
| George H. W. Bush | Director of Central Intelligence | Gerald Ford | 1976–1977 |
· Federal government › Judicial branch › Chief Justice of the United States
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
President
William Howard Taft
President nominated by
Warren G. Harding
Year(s) served
1921–1930
Notes
Only president to serve on the Supreme Court
| President | President nominated by | Year(s) served | Notes |
| William Howard Taft | Warren G. Harding | 1921–1930 | Only president to serve on the Supreme Court |