Victor Howard Metcalf (October 10, 1853-February 20, 1936) was an American politician. Born in Utica, New York and raised in that city, he graduated from Yale Law in 1876 and was admitted to the Connecticut and New York bars in 1876 and 1877, respectively. He practiced in Utica in 1877 and then moved to Oakland, California in 1879, where he also was a lawyer.
He was elected as a Republican to the 56th, 57th and 58th Congresses, serving 1899 until 1904.
In 1904 he was appointed United States Secretary of Commerce and Labor by President Theodore Roosevelt, serving until 1906, when he became United States Secretary of the Navy. He held that post until 1908.
After leaving Roosevelt's Cabinet he returned to Oakland, returned to the law, became a banker and died there in 1936.
Buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Oakland, Calif.
Preceded by: Charles J. Bonaparte United States Secretary of the Navy 1906-1908 Succeeded by: Truman H. Newberry Preceded by: George B. Cortelyou United States Secretary of Commerce and Labor 1904-1906 Succeeded by: Oscar S. Straus Preceded by: Samuel G. Hilborn 'U.S. House of Representatives 3rd district' 1899 - 1904 Succeeded by: Joseph R. Knowland United States Secretaries of Commerce Secretaries of Commerce & Labor (1903-1913): Cortelyou | Metcalf | Straus | Nagel Secretaries of Commerce (1913-): Redfield | Alexander | Hoover | Whiting | Lamont | Chapin | Roper | Hopkins | Jones | Wallace | Harriman | Sawyer | Weeks | Strauss | Mueller | Hodges | Connor | Trowbridge | Smith | Stans | Peterson | Dent | Morton | Richardson | Kreps | Klutznick | Baldrige | Verity | Mosbacher | Franklin | Brown | Kantor | Daley | Mineta | Evans | Gutierrez
