From Our Sunday Visitor's Catholic Almanac

Catholics in the U.S. government

Catholics in Presidents' cabinets

From 1789 to 1940, nine Catholics were appointed to cabinet posts by six of 32 presidents. The first was Roger Brooke Taney (later named first Catholic Supreme Court Justice) who was appointed in 1831 by Andrew Jackson. Catholics have been appointed to cabinet posts from the time of Franklin D. Roosevelt to the present. Listed below in chronological order are presidents, Catholic cabinet officials, posts held, dates.

Andrew Jackson: Roger B. Taney, Attorney General, 1831-33, Secretary of Treasury, 1833-34.
Franklin Pierce: James Campbell, Postmaster General, 1853-57.
James Buchanan: John B. Floyd, Secretary of War, 1857-61.
William McKinley: Joseph McKenna, Attorney General, 1897-98.
Theodore Roosevelt: Robert J. Wynne, Postmaster General, 1904-05; Charles Bonaparte, Secretary of Navy, 1905-06, Attorney General, 1906-09.
Franklin D. Roosevelt: James A. Farley, Postmaster General, 1933-40; Frank Murphy, Attorney General, 1939-40; Frank C. Walker, Postmaster General, 1940-45.
Harry S. Truman: Robert E. Hannegan, Postmaster General, 1945-47; J. Howard McGrath, Attorney General, 1949-52; Maurice J. Tobin, Secretary of Labor, 1948-53; James P. McGranery, Attorney General, 1952-53.
Dwight D. Eisenhower: Martin P. Durkin, Secretary of Labor, 1953; James P. Mitchell, Secretary of Labor, 1953-61.
John F. Kennedy: Robert F. Kennedy, Attorney General, 1961-63; Anthony Celebrezze, Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, 1962-63; John S. Gronouski, Postmaster General, 1963.
Lyndon B. Johnson: Robert F. Kennedy, 1963-64, Anthony Celebrezze, 1963-65, and John S. Gronouski, 1963-65, reappointed to posts held in Kennedy Cabinet; John T. Connor, Secretary of Commerce, 1965-67; Lawrence O'Brien, Postmaster General, 1965-68.
Richard M. Nixon: Walter J. Hickel, Secretary of Interior, 1969-71; John A. Volpe, Secretary of Transportation, 1969-72; Maurice H. Stans, Secretary of Commerce, 1969-72; Peter J. Brennan, Secretary of Labor, 1973-74; William E. Simon, Secretary of Treasury, 1974.
Gerald R. Ford: Peter J. Brennan, 1974-75, and William E. Simon, 1974-76, reappointed to posts held above.
Jimmy Carter: Joseph Califano, Jr., Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, 1977-79; Benjamin Civiletti, Attorney General, 1979-81; Moon Landrieu, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, 1979-81; Edmund S. Muskie, Secretary of State, 1980-81.
Ronald Reagan: Alexander M. Haig, Secretary of State, 1981-82; Raymond J. Donovan, Secretary of Labor, 1981-84; Margaret M. Heckler, Secretary of Health and Human Services, 1983-85; William J. Bennett, Secretary of Education, 1985-88; Ann Dore McLaughlin, Secretary of Labor, 1988-89; Lauro F. Cavazos, Secretary of Education, 1988-89; Nicholas F. Brady, Secretary of Treasury, 1988-89.
George Bush: Lauro F. Cavazos (reappointed), Secretary of Education, 1989-90; Nicholas F. Brady (reappointed), Secretary of Treasury, 1989-93; James D. Watkins, Secretary of Energy, 1989-93; Manuel Lujan, Jr., Secretary of Interior, 1989-93; Edward J. Derwinski, Secretary of Veteran Affairs, 1989-92; Lynn Martin, Secretary of Labor, 1990-93; Edward Madigan, Secretary of Agriculture, 1991-93; William P. Barr, Attorney General, 1991-93.
Bill Clinton: Henry G. Cisneros, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, 1993-97; Federico F. Peña, Secretary of Transportation, 1993-97; Donna Shalala, Secretary of Health and Human Services, 1993-2001; William M. Daley, Secretary of Commerce, 1997-2000; Andrew Cuomo, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, 1997-2001; Alexis H. Herman, Secretary of Labor, 1997-2001.
George W. Bush: Paul O'Neill, Secretary of the Treasury, 2001-03; Tommy Thompson, Secretary of Health and Human Services, 2001-05; Mel Martinez, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, 2001-05; Anthony Principi, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 2001-.

Cabinet members who became Catholics after leaving their posts were: Thomas Ewing, Secretary of Treasury under William A. Harrison and Secretary of Interior under Zachary Taylor; Luke E. Wright, Secretary of War under Theodore Roosevelt; Albert B. Fall, Secretary of Interior under Warren G. Harding.

Catholics in the 110th Congress

As of the start of the 110th Congress in 2007, there were 155 Catholic members, comprising 30% of the total Congressional membership and therefore the largest faith group in that body (Baptists were second, with 67 House and Senate members, followed by Methodists, with 62 members). There are presently 130 Catholics in the House (42 Republicans and 88 Democrats) and 25 Catholics in the Senate (16 Democrats and 9 Republicans), according to the Congressional Quarterly. There are fewer Catholic Republicans in both houses since the 109th Congress and many more Catholic Democrats. It is noted, however, that Catholic representatives and senators do not vote as a bloc, nor do many vote consistently in line with the teachings of the Church.

There are also 43 members who are of the Jewish faith, as well as two practicing Buddhists, and one Muslim. Six members of the new Congress said they have no religious affiliation.

Catholic Supreme Court Justices

Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice 1836-64; app. by Andrew Jackson.
Edward D. White, Associate Justice l894-1910, app. by Grover Cleveland; Chief Justice 1910-21; app. by William H. Taft.
Joseph McKenna, Associate Justice l898-l925; app. by William McKinley.
Pierce Butler, Associate Justice 1923-39; app. by Warren G. Harding.
Frank Murphy, Associate Justice 1940-49; app. by Franklin D. Roosevelt.
William Brennan, Associate Justice l956-90; app. by Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice 1986-; app. by Ronald Reagan.
Anthony M. Kennedy, Associate Justice 1988-; app. by Ronald Reagan.
Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice 1991-; app. by George H. W. Bush.
John Roberts, Chief Justice 2005-; app. by George W. Bush.
Samuel Alito, Associate Justice 2005-; app. George W. Bush.
Sherman Minton, Associate Justice from 1949 to 1956; became a Catholic several years before his death in 1965.

Catholics in Statuary Hall

Statues of 13 Catholics deemed worthy of national commemoration are among those enshrined in National Statuary Hall and other places in the U.S. Capitol. The Hall, formerly the chamber of the House of Representatives, was erected by Act of Congress July 2, 1864.

Donating states, names and years of placement are listed.

Arizona: Rev. Eusebio Kino, S. J., missionary, 1965.
California: Rev. Junípero Serra, O. F. M. missionary, 1931. (Beatified 1988.)
Hawaii: Fr. Damien, missionary, 1969. (Beatified 1995.)
Illinois: Gen. James Shields, statesman, 1893.
Louisiana: Edward D. White, Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1894-1921), 1955.
Maryland: Charles Carroll, statesman, 1901.
Nevada: Patrick A. McCarran, statesman, 1960.
New Mexico: Dennis Chavez, statesman, 1966. (Abp. Jean B. Lamy, pioneer prelate of Santa Fe, was nominated for Hall honor in 1951.)
North Dakota: John Burke, U.S. treasurer, 1963.
Oregon: Dr. John McLoughlin, pioneer, 1953.
Washington: Mother Mary Joseph Pariseau, pioneer missionary and humanitarian.
West Virginia: John E. Kenna, statesman, 1901.
Wisconsin: Rev. Jacques Marquette, S.J., missionary, explorer, 1895.

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