According to the United States Government Manual, "the Cabinet, a creation of custom and tradition dating back to George Washington's administration, functions at the pleasure of the President. Its purpose is to advise the President upon any subject, relating to the duties of the respective offices, on which he requests information (pursuant to Article II, section 2, of the Constitution)."
Members of the Cabinet include the vice president and the president-appointed heads of each executive department. It is typical for members of the Cabinet to resign when a new president takes office. However, when President Johnson assumed office in 1963 after President Kennedy's assassination, he asked the existing Cabinet to stay in order to ensure a smooth transition.
Secretary of State
![Candid photo of Dean Rusk](https://lbj-new-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/artifact_square/s3/headshots/2019-05/A6789-27a_09161968_0.jpg?VersionId=BUcSmExAqQO2NJeMUlKFafkE0vCgdHDL&itok=qu8Tc6l-)
Secretary of the Interior
![Close up of Sec. Stewart Udall in a meeting with President Johnson (out of frame) in the Oval Office](https://lbj-new-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/artifact_square/s3/headshots/2019-05/w367-3a_01091964.jpg?VersionId=3KppvI31iJ_2g7wMadmU1t0F5OlzRgCw&h=7a9bfce9&itok=F-iTnFJg)
Secretary of Agriculture
![Tight shot of Orville L. Freeman speaking during a meeting](https://lbj-new-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/artifact_square/s3/headshots/2019-05/C2418-16_07181966.jpg?VersionId=DvSB1rhFjXTGq.Ef4byMmeGeouYXZdGU&itok=x2QvEiad)
Secretary of Commerce
![Luther Hodges and President Johnson in the Oval Office](https://lbj-new-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/artifact_square/s3/headshots/2019-05/C5988-1_07111967.jpg?VersionId=JPICZFAQ9Uk6sE2b0hwzkc6ZRqvquIsZ&h=b682edf7&itok=Lg7_LaVL)
![Sec. John Connor on the telephone the day of the impending Steel Strike.](https://lbj-new-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/artifact_square/s3/headshots/2019-05/A1193-22_08301965.jpg?VersionId=6Acp.WUKJq0d8dk6JTeUu5IIuqbQD9E8&h=32d36d31&itok=gT5Oqs7W)
![Alexander B. Trowbridge makes remarks from a podium.](https://lbj-new-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/artifact_square/s3/headshots/2019-05/A3853-5a_03181967.jpg?VersionId=ELdbppLzT6NkYvDW3qpCl0WDOCE0JjsK&h=775010fe&itok=0RGvujyL)
![C.R. Smith](https://lbj-new-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/artifact_square/s3/headshots/2019-05/D536-8a_06121968.jpg?VersionId=66v.n70hwqveOq4XJHryD_Q40ao.wUuR&h=71cdd792&itok=6DhGzGw4)
Secretary of Labor
![Sec. Willard Wirtz sits in a Cabinet meeting](https://lbj-new-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/artifact_square/s3/headshots/2019-05/A2009-8_02261966.jpg?VersionId=IyFGRxkFaIqimUCdXmszIh4QYIp2oJnr&h=fb7f30a0&itok=roLTD8Kf)
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare
![Tight shot of Anthony J. Celebrezze walking besides President Johnson (out of frame) at the LBJ ranch](https://lbj-new-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/artifact_square/s3/headshots/2019-05/C810-3-WH64_11131964.jpg?VersionId=LN5ry52skgBT4IPlX9Z8_9za88BY3mJK&h=322b50b1&itok=LVmndJYn)
Anthony J. Celebrezze
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare
(D-OH)
July 31, 1962-Aug. 19, 1965
![John W. Gardner sitting, hands open in front of him](https://lbj-new-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/artifact_square/s3/headshots/2019-05/A2145-7_03211966.jpg?VersionId=iy4_igKLzwD5k8aRN8e0uuRoI8mOi6GW&h=471c9b52&itok=kzb8Nhy2)
John W. Gardner
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare
(R-NY)
Aug. 19, 1965-March 1, 1968
![Sec. Wilbur Cohen, President Lyndon Baines Johnson](https://lbj-new-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/artifact_square/s3/headshots/2019-05/D1107-20a_07161968.jpg?VersionId=ypZRTZfk6JXPKk8xdi6ymIdksAGUYacE&h=1694e921&itok=au73pUN1)
Wilbur J. Cohen
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare
(D-MD)
March 1, 1968-Jan. 20, 1969
Secretary of Transportation
![Sec. Alan S. Boyd, seated at table, speaking and gesturing with his right hand.](https://lbj-new-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/artifact_square/s3/headshots/2019-05/A6685-9_08221968.jpg?VersionId=gYsnkwH4CqtO6GP1tvJJNiylGsNZDKHM&h=4dbd8713&itok=qFickWBN)
U.S. Representative to the United Nations
![Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson sits behind microphones as Speaker Sam Rayburn, Adlai Stevenson look on](https://lbj-new-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/artifact_square/s3/headshots/2019-05/55-9-27_09291955.jpg?VersionId=DKkVeEnsLwyM.QBQnOb4xWFKsX8YWVHe&h=de761918&itok=BD_R_DVM)
Adlai E. Stevenson II
U.S. Representative to the United Nations
(D-IL)
Jan. 20, 1961-July 14, 1965
Died in office
![Arthur J. Goldberg](https://lbj-new-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/artifact_square/s3/headshots/2019-05/A720-5_06221965.jpg?VersionId=C5ZeazTLo2sXIZn6c2a7z6EVb9af6Sei&h=521827e2&itok=DBggy2wZ)
Arthur J. Goldberg
U.S. Representative to the United Nations
(D-IL)
July 20, 1965-June 21, 1968
![George W. Ball](https://lbj-new-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/artifact_square/s3/headshots/2019-05/A2085-21_05111965.jpg?VersionId=payes6XKUj7x_auNVY7f1k8_0yUdruRY&h=d7f9b107&itok=U64JUnYx)
George W. Ball
U.S. Representative to the United Nations
(D-IL)
June 24, 1968-Sept. 25, 1968
![James Russell Wiggins](https://lbj-new-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/artifact_square/s3/headshots/2019-05/A3178-17_09211966.jpg?VersionId=cJdVPt0BnVvwC9hKTrSaT8fjJ4XfpnXp&h=ad1f601a&itok=6bkLM0_S)
James Russell Wiggins
U.S. Representative to the United Nations
(D-Wash., D.C.)
Oct. 4, 1968-Jan. 20, 1969