Director of the U.S. Geological Survey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is responsible for direction and leadership of the agency.[2] Within the director's office are the deputy director, who assists the director in coordination of the USGS; and eight associate directors, each overseeing a particular program, who report to the director.[3] The director is typically sworn in by the secretary of the interior—for example, Bruce Babbitt swore in Charles Groat,[4] and Deb Haaland swore in David Applegate.[5]
with advice and consent of the Senate[1]
| Director of the U.S. Geological Survey | |
|---|---|
Seal of the USGS | |
| U.S. Geological Survey | |
| Reports to | Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, U.S. Department of the Interior |
| Appointer | President of the United States with advice and consent of the Senate[1] |
History
The U.S. Geological Survey was established in 1879 by an act of Congress. Clarence King was appointed as the first director.[6] King was picked because he was the leader of a USGS predecessor survey.[7]
Later, in 2018, during the confirmation of James Reilly at a hearing with the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, the committee emphasized the fact that the appointee would have to protect scientific integrity within the USGS. This was a new theme, stemming from concerns over other people nominated to positions by President Trump.[8] It was also noted that Trump had taken more than a year to announce Reilley's nomination, which was noted by The Washington Post as a departure from the usual time a president would take to nominate someone for the role.[9]
List of USGS directors
The following persons have led the U.S. Geological Survey since 1879 as director:[10]
| No. | Portrait | Director | Term start | Term end | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Clarence King | 1879 | 1881 | |
| 2 |  |
John Wesley Powell | 1881 | 1894 | |
| 3 |  |
Charles Doolittle Walcott | 1894 | 1907 | |
| 4 |  |
George Otis Smith | 1907 | 1930 | |
| 5 |  |
Walter Curran Mendenhall | 1930 | 1943 | |
| 6 |  |
William Embry Wrather | 1943 | 1956 | |
| 7 |  |
Thomas Brennan Nolan | 1956 | 1965 | |
| 8 |  |
William Thomas Pecora | 1965 | 1971 | |
| 9 |  |
Vincent Ellis McKelvey | 1971 | 1978 | |
| 10 |  |
Henry William Menard | 1978 | 1981 | |
| 11 |  |
Dallas Lynn Peck | 1981 | 1993 | |
| 12 |  |
Gordon P. Eaton | March 14, 1994 | October 1, 1997 | [11][12] |
| acting |  |
Thomas Casadevall | October 2, 1997 | November 12, 1998 | [13] |
| 13 |  |
Charles G. Groat | November 13, 1998 | June 17, 2005 | [14][15] |
| acting |  |
P. Patrick Leahy | June 18, 2005 | September 25, 2006 | [16] |
| 14 |  |
Mark Myers | September 26, 2006 | January 8, 2009 | [17][18] |
| acting |  |
Suzette Kimball | January 9, 2009 | November 4, 2009 | |
| 15 |  |
Marcia McNutt | November 5, 2009 | February 15, 2013 | [19][20] |
| acting | |
Suzette Kimball | February 16, 2013 | January 7, 2014 | [21][22] |
| 16 | January 8, 2014 | January 20, 2017 | |||
| acting |  |
William Werkheiser | January 20, 2017 | May 13, 2018 | [23] |
| 17 |  |
James F. Reilly | May 14, 2018 | January 20, 2021 | [24] |
| acting |  |
David Applegate | January 20, 2021 | August 14, 2022 | [25] |
| 18 | August 15, 2022 | January 20, 2025 | |||
| acting |  |
Sarah J. Ryker | January 20, 2025 | November 18, 2025 | [26] |
| 19 |  |
Ned Mamula | November 18, 2025 | Present | [27] |