John Neely Kennedy was born in Centreville, Mississippi, in 1951. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science, philosophy, and economics from Vanderbilt University in 1973, his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1977, and a B.C.L. from Oxford University in 1979. He previously worked as a lawyer, as special counsel to Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer from 1988-1992, Secretary in the Governor's Cabinet from 1990-1992, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Revenue from 1996-1999, and as an adjunct professor at Louisiana State University. He served as Louisiana Treasurer from 2000 to 2017. Kennedy switched party affiliations in 2007 from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party.
