On July 19, 1979, President Jimmy Carter announced the resignation of Joseph A. Califano Jr. as Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) and nominated Patricia Roberts Harris to succeed him in that role.
Harris had been serving as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) since January 1977.
Her appointment to HEW marked a significant milestone, as she became the first African American woman to serve in a U.S. presidential cabinet.
She continued in this capacity until 1980, when the department was reorganized into the Department of Health and Human Services, with Harris remaining as its first Secretary.
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