Elaine Chao
Who was Elaine Chao?
Elaine Chao served in the cabinets of two U.S. presidents, as Secretary of Labor under George W. Bush (2001-2009) and Secretary of Transportation under Donald Trump (2017-2021). She was the first Asian American woman to serve in a presidential cabinet.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Elaine Chao (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Elaine Lan Chao was born on March 26, 1953, in Taipei, Taiwan, to parents who fled mainland China after the Chinese Civil War. She moved to the United States at eight years old, settling with her family in Queens, New York, and later on Long Island. Her father, James Chao, started the Foremost Group, an American shipping company based in New York, which helped the family blend into American commercial and civic life. Chao attended Syosset High School and then earned her undergraduate degree from Mount Holyoke College and her MBA from Harvard Business School. She also pursued further studies at Harvard, Columbia, Dartmouth, and MIT.
After her graduate education, Chao began her career in financial services before moving to public service. She held senior positions in the Department of Transportation during Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush's administrations, serving as chair of the Federal Maritime Commission from 1988 to 1989 and as Deputy Secretary of Transportation from 1989 to 1991. She then led the Peace Corps from 1991 to 1992, managing volunteer programs in many countries. From 1993 to 1996, she was president of the United Way of America, guiding the organization through a period of reform after a leadership scandal.
Chao made history when President George W. Bush appointed her Secretary of Labor in 2001, becoming the first Asian American woman in a U.S. presidential cabinet. She held that role throughout Bush's two terms, from 2001 to 2009, focusing on workforce development, occupational safety, and pension security. Later, President Donald Trump appointed her Secretary of Transportation, a position she held from 2017 to 2021. She resigned on January 7, 2021, following the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Besides her cabinet roles, Chao has served on the boards of several Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations, including ChargePoint, an electric vehicle charger network provider, where she has been on the board since 2021. In January 2025, she was named a trustee of the Kennedy Center. She is married to longtime U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, a Republican leader who has served as both Senate Majority and Minority Leader. Throughout her career, Chao has received many honors recognizing her professional achievements and her journey as an immigrant who achieved high-level positions in American government.
Before Fame
Elaine Chao's journey to public prominence began when her family moved to the United States from Taiwan when she was eight. Growing up in Queens and Long Island, she adapted to a new country and language while excelling in school. Her education at Syosset High School paved the way for her to attend prestigious universities, and earning an MBA from Harvard Business School opened doors for her in finance and government.
After working in banking and financial services in the early 1980s, Chao was chosen as a White House Fellow. This prestigious program places promising young professionals in senior government roles. This was her formal entry into federal public service and set her on a path through the Department of Transportation and beyond. Her selection as a White House Fellow was an early sign of the recognition she would receive from government and civic institutions throughout her career.
Key Achievements
- First Asian American woman to serve in a United States presidential cabinet, appointed Secretary of Labor by President George W. Bush in 2001.
- Served as Secretary of Labor for the full eight years of the Bush administration, one of the longest tenures in that office in modern history.
- Appointed Secretary of Transportation by President Donald Trump, serving from 2017 to 2021 and overseeing major infrastructure policy discussions.
- Served as director of the Peace Corps from 1991 to 1992 and led the United Way of America as president from 1993 to 1996.
- Recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the Carnegie Corporation's Great Immigrants Award, recognizing her contributions as a naturalized American citizen.
Did You Know?
- 01.Chao immigrated to the United States from Taiwan at age eight and initially spoke little English, yet she went on to earn an MBA from Harvard Business School.
- 02.She resigned as Secretary of Transportation on January 7, 2021, one of the first cabinet members to do so in direct response to the January 6 Capitol attack.
- 03.Chao received the Mount Holyoke College Mary Lyon Award in 1984, named after the college's founder, recognizing distinguished alumnae.
- 04.In 2010, she received an honorary doctorate from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, one of China's most prestigious research universities.
- 05.Her father James Chao founded the Foremost Group, a New York-based international shipping company, and later donated funds to Harvard Business School that helped name the Chao Center there.
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| White House Fellows | — | — |
| Mount Holyoke College Mary Lyon Award | 1984 | — |
| honorary doctor of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University | 2010 | — |
| Great Immigrants Award | 2006 | — |
| Ellis Island Medal of Honor | — | — |