George K. McKinney

The Honorable GEORGE K. MCKINNEY United States Marshal (Retired) Retired United States Marshal McKinney was born in Providence, RI. He attended public schools in Boston, MA, Richmond and Petersburg, VA. He graduated from Morgan State College, now University in 1956 as a Distinguished Military Student with a B. S. Degree in Psychology. Marshal McKinney was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and served in the U. S. Army during the period 1956-1965. While in the service he served with the 82nd Airborne Division as a Master Paratrooper, Jumpmaster, Jungle Expert and was assigned to duties in Korea, Panama, Canal Zone and Ft. Bragg, NC. He was honorably discharged as a Captain in 1965. Professionally, since leaving military service, Marshal McKinney has established an enviable record of public service and achievement with the federal government. In 1973 he was appointed as the 3rd African-American United States Marshal for the District of Columbia, by the late President Richard M. Nixon. In 1995, he was appointed as the 1st African-American United States Marshal for the District of Maryland since the organization of the United States Marshal Service in 1789 by President William J. Clinton. Marshal McKinney is one of the few Marshals to have been appointed in different federal districts by Presidents from different political parties. As the United States Marshal for the District of Columbia he became the only United States Marshal who personally served a subpoena on a President of the United States while in office. He served a subpoena on President Nixon for the “Watergate Tapes”. He also served as a Deputy U. S. Marshal during the period 1966-1968 and was a member of numerous Special Details throughout the country during the Civil Rights era. Marshal McKinney was one of the first African American Special Agents and Polygraph Examiners at the nation’s super secret National Security Agency, Ft. Meade, MD during the period 1968-1973. In this capacity he conducted over 1000 cases involving the national security. During the period 1977-1994 Marshal McKinney held numerous high level executive management positions with the U. S. Department of Justice in Washington, DC. Director, Justice Protective Service, Assistant Director for Physical Security, Senior Security Specialist, Operations Security Officer, Computer Security Officer were a few of his positions during this period. While at the Department of Justice he sat as a member of many high level interagency security and intelligence boards representing the Attorney General and the department. Immediately after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, the U. S. Marshals Office for the District of Maryland was directed by the Attorney General of the United States to assume and manage all security operations at the Baltimore Washington International Airport. Under the Direction of Marshal McKinney his office performed their mission for some sixty days, until relieved by the Maryland National Guard and the newly formed Transportation Security Administration. Marshal McKinney retired from federal service in March 2002, after more than 45 years of dedicated service. Marshal McKinney is the recipient of numerous awards and commendations from federal, State, local governments and the judiciary. In 1994 he testified before the U. S. House of Representative, Subcommittee on Crime, on behalf of the United States Marshals Service. In 2000 he was awarded the U. S. Marshals Service Director’s Award, for having the top U. S. Marshals District of the 94 federal districts. Additional honors include: Distinguished NAFEO recipient and induction into the MSU ROTC and Psychology Halls of Fame. Marshal McKinney is active in the community and is a frequent requested speaker at community, church, fraternal and charitable organizations. He is a member of numerous professional and civic organizations to include the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE); International Organization of Chiefs of Police (IACP); Life Member Omega Psi Phi Fraternity; Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity; Howard L. Cornish Baltimore Chapter of the MSU National Alumni Association. He is the former President of the Men’s League of Union Baptist Church, Baltimore, MD and currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Deacons. He is the former chairman of the Omega Life Membership Foundation, a national fraternal 501 c-3 organization. Marshal McKinney is the current CEO for Clamar, Inc., a property management organization. Marshal McKinney serves as a consultant on personnel and physical security matters with various private and public organizations. An avid genealogist, Marshal McKinney serves as the family genealogist for the McKinney-Ellis Clan and is attempting to validate the family African origins. Marshal McKinney is a contributor to various charities to include the Morgan State University Foundation where he established scholarship in the name of his late father Dr. Richard I. McKinney, and his late wife Dr. Mildred S. McKinney, both of whom were long time faculty members of the university. Marshal McKinney is the father of four adult college educated children and has four grandchildren.

Tributes

George K. McKinney

December 16, 1934 - June 17, 2012