Content-Type: text/shitpost

Subject: Secretary of State
Path: you!your-host!walldrug!prime-radiant!berserker!plovergw!plovervax!shitpost!mjd
Date: 2019-04-07T16:17:08
Newsgroup: comp.protocols.tcp-ip.secretary-of-state
Message-ID: <4ab6e36f1c5cbf92@shitpost.plover.com>
Content-Type: text/shitpost

Up until the middle of the 19th century, it was quite common for the President of the United States to have previously served as Secretary of State. U.S. Presidents who served were:

Thomas Jefferson (under Washington)
James Madison (under Jefferson)
James Monroe (under Madison)
John Quincy Adams (under Monroe)
Martin Van Buren (under Jackson)
James Buchanan (under Polk)

That's six of the first 15 Presidents (and four of the first six!) serving in six of the first 11 presidencies.

Buchanan's service as Secretary of State under Polk ended in 1849; he was President from 1857 until 1861. Since then, no U.S. President has been Secretary of State either before or after his or her term of office. James Blaine tried really hard (even harder than Hillary!) but couldn't pull it off.