The Assistant Secretary of the Navy (AIR) was a civilian office of the United States Department of the Navy. The assistant secretary of the Navy (AIR) initially reported to the assistant secretary of the Navy and later to the under secretary of the Navy.
With the emergence of naval aviation as a major new military technique, the Navy had increasingly large organizations to oversee it. From 1910, there was an Officer in Charge of Aviation, then a Director of Naval Aeronautics, then in 1916 a Director of Naval Aviation. In 1921, Congress replaced those positions with a distinct Bureau of Aeronautics. Finally, on June 24, 1926, Congress created the position of Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Aeronautics to oversee the United States' naval aviation forces. The position was vacant from 1932 until 1941, and upon being re-occupied, the position was re-titled Assistant Secretary of the Navy (AIR) on September 11, 1941.
On February 6, 1959, the office was redesignated Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research and Development). In April 1977, the name was changed to Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Engineering and Systems).
The office was disestablished in 1990, when the office was merged with the office of Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Shipbuilding and Logistics) to create the new office of Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisitions).
Assistant Secretaries of the Navy for Aeronautics, 1926—1932
NameAssumed officeLeft officePresident appointed bySecretary served underEdward Pearson WarnerJuly 7, 1926March 15, 1929Calvin CoolidgeCurtis D. WilburDavid Sinton IngallsMarch 16, 1929June 1, 1932Herbert HooverCharles Francis Adams III
Assistant Secretaries of the Navy (AIR), 1941—1959
NameAssumed officeLeft officePresident appointed bySecretary served underArtemus GatesSeptember 5, 1941June 30, 1945Franklin D. RooseveltFrank Knox, James ForrestalJohn L. SullivanJuly 5, 1945June 17, 1946Harry S. TrumanJames ForrestalJohn N. BrownJanuary 12, 1946March 8, 1949Harry S. TrumanJames Forrestal, John L. SullivanDan A. KimballMarch 9, 1949May 24, 1949Harry S. TrumanJohn L. SullivanJohn F. FlobergDecember 5, 1949July 23, 1953Harry S. TrumanFrancis P. Matthews, Dan A. Kimball, Robert B. AndersonJames H. Smith, Jr.July 23, 1953June 20, 1956Dwight D. EisenhowerRobert B. Anderson, Charles ThomasGarrison NortonJuly 7, 1956February 5, 1959Dwight D. EisenhowerCharles Thomas, Thomas S. Gates, Jr.
Assistant Secretaries of the Navy (Research and Development), 1959—1977
NameAssumed officeLeft officePresident appointed bySecretary served underJames H. Wakelin, Jr.June 5, 1959June 30, 1964Dwight D. EisenhowerWilliam B. Franke, John Connally, Fred Korth, Paul NitzeRobert W. MorseJuly 1, 1964June 30, 1966Lyndon B. JohnsonPaul NitzeRobert A. FroschJuly 1, 1966January 20, 1973Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. NixonPaul Nitze, Paul Ignatius, John Chafee, John WarnerDavid S. PotterSeptember 14, 1973August 16, 1974Richard NixonJohn Warner, J. William MiddendorfH. Tyler MarcyOctober 15, 1974April 4, 1977Gerald FordJ. William Middendorf
Assistant Secretaries of the Navy (Research, Engineering and Systems), 1977—1990
NameAssumed officeLeft officePresident appointed bySecretary served underDavid E. MannApril 1977January 1981Jimmy CarterW. Graham Claytor, Jr., Edward HidalgoGerald A. CannJanuary 1981December 1981Ronald ReaganJohn LehmanMelvyn R. PaisleyDecember 1981March 1987Ronald ReaganJohn Lehman
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