In US history the name of Marshall has been synonymous with “justice, integrity and service.” From Chief Justice John Marshall to General George C. Marshall to Associate Justice John Marshall Harlan, two more names are Thurgood Marshall and Honorable John W. Marshall.
Thurgood Marshall, special counsel for NAACP in New York 
and later became Chief Counsel for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), after amassing an impressive record of Supreme Court challenges to state-sponsored discrimination, he was elevated to the federal Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. His successful arguments before the court lead to new roles and missions for the United States Marshals Service. Thurgood Marshall eventually was elevated to U. S. Solicitor General and Associate Supreme Court Justice. Thurgood Marshall leaves a legacy that expands that early sensitivity to include all of America's voiceless. The tale of our second Marshall has his beginning with the Thurgood Marshall. John W. Marshall is the son of the late
Thurgood Marshall. John Marshall was born in New York City to Thurgood and Cecilia Marshall. John Marshall began his career in public service and law enforcement in 1980 as a Virginia State Trooper. During his 14 years with the Department of State Police, he also served as a Special Agent in the Narcotics Division, Sergeant-Instructor at the Training Academy and as a Sergeant assigned to Field Operations.
In 1994, President William J. Clinton appointed Marshall to serve as the United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia. Later in 1999, President Clinton nominated Marshall to serve as the Director of the United States Marshals Service, our nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency. Upon confirmation by the U.S. Senate, Marshall took office as Director in November of 1999. He is the first African-American to serve as the Director.
On January 15, 2006, Governor Timothy M. Kaine appointed John W. Marshall to the position of Secretary of Public Safety. As Secretary of Public Safety, Marshall has responsibility for the oversight of 14 agencies and over 22,000 employees, including the Department of Corrections, Virginia National Guard and the Virginia State Police. Prior to his appointment by Governor Kaine, Marshall was appointed Secretary of Public Safety by Governor Mark R. Warner in January 2002.
Secretary Marshall graduated from Georgetown University in1988 with a BA in Government, and he also holds a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in the Administration of Justice from Virginia Commonwealth University.