John W Marshall

John W. Marshall is the younger of two sons of Thurgood Marshall, the lead attorney in
Brown v Board of Education, and our nation’s first African-American Associate Justice
of the United States Supreme Court. John specializes in motivational speeches dealing
with his father’s role in our nation’s civil rights movement and his place in American
history. He has also been the featured speaker for numerous law enforcement and fire and
rescue related events.

Born in New York City, Marshall began his career in public service and law enforcement
in 1980 as a Trooper with the Virginia State Police. In 1994, he was appointed by
President William J. Clinton to serve as the United States Marshal for the Eastern District
of Virginia. In 1999, Marshall was nominated by President Clinton to serve as the
Director of the United States Marshals Service. After confirmation by the U.S. Senate,
Marshall took office as the Director in November, 1999. He is the first African-American
to serve as the agency’s Director.

In 2002, Governor Mark Warner of Virginia appointed Marshall to the position of
Secretary of Public Safety. He was re-appointed to that position by Governor Timothy
Kaine in 2006. Marshall is the longest serving Cabinet member in the history of Virginia.
From January, 2010 to January, 2011, Marshall served as a Consultant and Senior
Advisor with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

Marshall holds a BA in Government from Georgetown University, and a Post-
Baccalaureate Certificate in the Administration of Justice from Virginia Commonwealth
University. He is also a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute and the Henry Toll
Fellowship Program.