John W. Warner papers

John William Warner (born February 18, 1927) is an American Republican politician who served as Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974 and as a five-term United States Senator from Virginia from January 2, 1979, to January 3, 2009. He did not seek reelection in 2008 and has rejoined the law firm of Hogan and Hartson, where he worked before joining the Department of Defense.

He grew up in Washington D.C. and joined the Navy shortly after graduating from high school, leaving as a Petty Officer 3rd Class. He then did his undergraduate studies at Washington and Lee University and began post-graduate studies at University of Virginia Law School.

With the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, Warner joined the Marine Corps, first in active duty and then as a reserve, finally earning the rank of Captain. He resumed his studies at George Washington University and received his law degree in 1953.

He has been married three times. His first marriage was to Catherine Conover Mellon in 1957; they divorced in 1973. He was married to actress Elizabeth Taylor in 1976; they divorced in 1982. Since 2003, he has been married to Jeanne Vander Myde. He has three children, all from his first marriage.

In 1987, he was one of few Republicans to reject the nomination of Robert Bork to the Supreme Court. He would later break with Virginia Republicans, refusing to support the campaigns of Mike Farris and Oliver North. In 1996, he was one of ten Republican Senators voting against the charge of perjury in the attempted impechment of President Bill Clinton.

His committee memberships included the Environment and Public Works Committee, the Committee on the Armed Services, the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, the Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.