John Francis Lehman Jr. was born on September 14, 1942, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Constance (Cruice) and John Francis Lehman Sr., an industrial engineer and decorated U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander veteran of World War II. A first cousin once removed of actress Grace Kelly (Princess Grace of Monaco), he grew up in the Philadelphia area, graduating from La Salle College High School. Lehman earned a B.S. in international relations from Saint Joseph's University in 1964, a B.A. (later elevated to M.A.) from Gonville and Caius College at the University of Cambridge, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. He served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and U.S. Naval Reserve, achieving the rank of captain after 30 years, including active duty as a naval flight officer on the A-6 Intruder and staff work on the National Security Council under Henry Kissinger. He served as U.S. Secretary of the Navy from 1981 to 1987 under President Ronald Reagan. Following his government service, Lehman founded the consulting firm Abington Corporation in 1977 and later became an investment banker at PaineWebber and UBS. He chairs the private equity firm J.F. Lehman & Company, and has served on boards including Ball Corporation (since 1987), Verisk, Inc., and EnerSys. A prominent Republican national security figure, he is affiliated with think tanks like the Heritage Foundation, Foreign Policy Research Institute, and Project for the New American Century; served on the 9/11 Commission (2003-2004); and advised Senators John McCain (2008) and Mitt Romney (2012). Lehman is the author of books such as 'Command of the Seas' (1989), 'Oceans Ventured' (2018), and others on naval history and policy. Lehman has faced controversy, including allegations of engaging in a sexual act with a stripper in front of spectators at the 1986 Tailhook convention in Las Vegas, which he downplayed in 1996 interviews. He resides in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and Manhattan, New York.