Administrator of Veterans Affairs
The Administrator of Veterans Affairs was the head of the Veterans Administration, a United States Government agency responsible for military veterans benefits. The administrator was appointed by the President. In 1989, the Veterans Administration was replaced by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (a member of the cabinet) as its head.
No. | Name | Term of Offices | President(s) served under |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Frank T. Hines | 1930–1945 | Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman |
2 | Omar Bradley | 1945–1948 | Harry S. Truman |
3 | Carl R. Gray, Jr. | 1948–1953 | Harry S. Truman |
4 | Harvey V. Higley | 1953–1957 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
5 | Sumner G. Whittier | 1957–1961 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
6 | John S. Gleason | 1961–1965 | John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson |
7 | William J. Driver | 1965–1969 | Lyndon B. Johnson |
8 | Donald E. Johnson | 1969–1974 | Richard Nixon |
9 | Richard L. Roudebush | 1974–1977 | Gerald Ford |
10 | Max Cleland | 1977–1981 | Jimmy Carter |
11 | Bob Nimmo | 1981–1983 | Ronald Reagan |
12 | Harry N. Walters | 1983–1986 | Ronald Reagan |
13 | Thomas K. Turnage | 1986–1989 | Ronald Reagan |
14 | Ed Derwinski | 1989 | George H. W. Bush |
Derwinski went on to become the first Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Directors of Veterans Bureau
Before the VA was established on July 21, 1930, its functions were carried out by the U.S. Veterans’ Bureau, the Bureau of Pensions of the Interior Department, and the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. The director of the Veterans' Bureau corresponds somewhat with the later position of Administrator.
No. | Name | Term of Offices | President(s) served under |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Charles R. Forbes | 1922–1923 | Warren G. Harding |
2 | Frank T. Hines | 1923–1930 | Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover |