the Department of Labor. The Department of Commerce is considered a continuation of the Department of Commerce and Labor under a new name. No woman had ever served under the original title of the position. The Secretary of the Army ceased to be a member of the Cabinet when the Department of the Army became a component of the Department of Defense in 1949. No woman had ever served while it was a Cabinet post. Christine Wormuth became the first woman to serve as Secretary of the Army in 2021. She was appointed after it became a position beneath the Secretary of Defense. The Secretary of the Navy ceased to be a member of the Cabinet when the Department of the Navy became a component of the Department of Defense in 1949. No woman had ever served while it was a Cabinet post. Susan Livingstone became the first woman to serve as acting Secretary of the Navy in 2003. She was appointed after it became a position beneath the Secretary of Defense. The Secretary of the Air Force ceased to be a member of the Cabinet when the Department of the Air Force became a component of the Department of Defense in 1949. No woman had ever served while it was a Cabinet post. Sheila Widnall became the first woman to serve as Secretary of the Air Force in 1993. She was appointed after it became a position beneath the Secretary of Defense. Cabinet-level positions The president may designate or remove additional officials as members of the Cabinet. These positions have not always been in the Cabinet, so some female officeholders may not be listed. The following list includes women who have held Cabinet-level positions, which can vary under each president. They are not in the line of succession and are not necessarily officers of the United States. The table below is organized based on the beginning of their terms in office while it was raised to cabinet-level status. Officeholders whose terms begin the same day are ranked alphabetically by last name. denotes the first female holder of that particular office See also List of African-American United States Cabinet members List of foreign-born United States Cabinet members List of Hispanic and Latino American United States Cabinet members Notes References External links The Cabinet - Provided by the White House. Retrieved January 11, 2016. Women Appointed to Presidential Cabinets - Produced