In January 1942 the Director of Material and Procurement was appointed to coordinate all material procurement activities of the US Navy. The office would be supervised by the War Production Board until late 1945.
In 1948 the office title was changed to Chief of Division of Material, and in 1984 to Chief of the Office of Naval Material. In 1983 title was changed to Naval Material Command. On 6 May 1985, the SECNAV secretary John Lehman disestablished the Command.[1] Acquisition functions were passed onto the following Commands: Naval Air Systems Command, Naval Sea Systems Command, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Naval Supply Systems Command, and the Strategic Systems Program Office. The Office of Naval Acquisition Support was established to create acquisition support for functions that span across Commands, and that require a degree of independence in their operations.
| Chief of Naval Material | Tenure | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1942-1945 | |
| 2 | 1946 | |
| 3 | 1947 | |
| 4 | VADM Arthur C. Miles | 1948-1949 |
| 5 | VADM Edwin D. Foster | 1950 |
| 6 | 1951 | |
| 7 | VADM Charles W. Fox | 1952-1953 |
| 8 | 1954 | |
| 9 | VADM Murrey L. Royar | 1955 |
| 10 | VADM Edward W. Clexton | February 1956 - 1960 |
| 11 | VADM George F. Beardsley | July 1960 - 1963 |
| 12 | VADM William A. Schoech | July 1963 - 1965 |
| 13 | March 1965 - 1970 | |
| 14 | June 1970 - 1971 | |
| 15 | December 1971 - 1975 | |
| 16 | April 1975 - 1978 | |
| 17 | August 1978 - 1981 | |
| 18 | July 1981 - 1983 | |
| 19 | August 1983 - 1985 | |