• Son of Dr. John W. Warner (W&L Class of 1903) and Martha Budd Warner. The J.W. Warner M.D. Scholarship Fund at W&L honors the senior Warner.
• Husband of Jeanne Warner; father of John W. Warner IV, Mary C. Warner and Virginia S. Warner.
• Attended Woodrow Wilson High School, in Washington.
W&L
• Entered W&L in 1946 on the GI Bill.
• Joined Beta Theta Pi fraternity.
• Played varsity lacrosse.
• Served as secretary-treasurer of the senior science class.
• Received a B.S. in basic engineering in 1949.
• Served on W&L's Board of Trustees, 1968-1980.
• Honorary member of Omicron Delta Kappa and Phi Beta Kappa.
• Gave money for full scholarships for transfer students, with preference to African-American students; gave to the Library Building Fund; endowed the John W. Warner Public Service Award; donated his law library to W&L.
• In 1985, spoke at the W&L Law School graduation.
• In 2005, received an honorary degree from the University.
• Served on 2008 Mock Con Advisory Board.
• In 2009, received W&L's highest honor, the Washington Award.
Military
• Served in the Navy during World War II from 1944-1946.
• Served in the Marines during the Korean War from 1950-1952, and in the Marine Reserves from 1952-1956.
Law
• Earned his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1953.
• From 1953-1956, served as law clerk for Chief Judge E. Barrett Prettyman of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
• In 1956, appointed assistant U.S. attorney in the trial and appellate divisions.
• In 1960, entered private practice.
• In 2009, after his retirement from the Senate, rejoined the firm of Hogan and Harston, Washington.
Government Service
• In 1969, appointed undersecretary of the Navy.
• In 1972, became secretary of the Navy.
• From 1974-1976, coordinated the celebration of the Bicentennial of the founding of the U.S.; appointed by President Gerald Ford.
• In 1978, began his five terms in the U.S. Senate.
• Chaired the Senate's Armed Services Committee and served on the Intelligence Committee, the Environment and Public Works Committee, the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs and the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration; chaired the Special Committee on Aging.
• In August 2007, as the second-longest-serving senator from Virginia in the 218-year history of the Senate, announced his decision not to seek re-election to a sixth term.
• In January 2009, retired from the Senate.
