John Roy Whinnery was an American electrical engineer and educator who worked in the fields of microwave theory and laser experimentation. He was born on July 26, 1916 in Read, Colorado, United States. Whinnery received both his BS and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1937 and 1948, respectively. Whinnery was on the faculty of the University of California, Berkeley, beginning in 1946, holding appointment as Lecturer, Associate Professor, and Professor. From 1952 to 1956, he directed the Electronics Research Laboratory; from 1956 to 1959, he was Chairman of the Electric Engineering Department; from 1959 to 1963, he was Dean of the College of Engineering at Berkeley. During Whinnery's terms, many of the most successful young faculty were hired to the College of Engineering, Berkeley, specifically in Electrical Engineering, contributing significantly to Berkeley's reputation as one of the premier colleges of engineering in the world today. In 1992, Whinnery's research contributions, excellence as an educator and record of service also earned him the National Medal of Science, the nation's highest scientific honor bestowed by the president. He died on February 1, 2009 in Walnut Creek, California, United States.