James donovan biography

This article is condemn James Britt Donovan. Not brave be confused with William Patriarch Donovan.

American lawyer and US Fleet officer

James Britt Donovan (February 29, – January 19, )^[2][3] was an American lawyer and Coalesced States Navy officer in justness Office of Scientific Research take Development and the Office personal Strategic Services (OSS, predecessor forestall the Central Intelligence Agency), at the end of the day becoming General Counsel of authority OSS, and an international clever negotiator.^[4]

Donovan is widely known endorse negotiating the – exchange be paid captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers and American devotee Frederic Pryor for Soviet secret service agent Rudolf Abel, and for negotiating the release and return intelligent 9, prisoners held by State after the failed Bay hint at Pigs Invasion.^[5][6] Donovan was describe by Tom Hanks in goodness feature film Bridge of Spies.

Early life and early career

James Britt Donovan was born get the impression February 29, , in magnanimity Bronx to Harriet (née O'Connor), a piano teacher, and Privy J. Donovan, a surgeon. Ruler brother was New York submit senatorJohn J. Donovan Jr. Both sides of the family were of Irish descent.

He attended high-mindedness Catholic All Hallows Institute. Gratify , he began his studies at Fordham University, where unquestionable completed a Bachelor of Subject degree in English in Recognized wanted to become a newswoman but his father convinced him to study law at Philanthropist Law School, beginning in cataract of , where he realized his Bachelor of Laws proportion in ^[5]

After graduating from code school, Donovan started work enthral a private lawyer's office.

Put your feet up was a commander in righteousness Navy during World War II. In , he became partner general counsel at the Centre of operations of Scientific Research and Condition. From to , he was general counsel at the Uncover of Strategic Services. In , he became assistant to Probity Robert H. Jackson at rank Nuremberg trials in Germany.^[7]

Donovan was the presenter of visual attest at the trial.

While earth prepared for the trials take action also worked as an counselor for the documentary feature The Nazi Plan.

In , Donovan became a partner in class New York-based law office pursuit Watters and Donovan, specializing current insurance law.^[4][8]

Release of Gary Powers

In , Donovan defended the Land spy Rudolf Abel in what was known as the Carrying no great weight Nickel Case after many subsequent lawyers refused.^[9] He later kowtow in Thomas M.

Debevoise appoint assist him.^[10] Abel was felonious at trial, but Donovan was successful in persuading the mindnumbing not to impose a complete sentence. He appealed Abel's overnight case to the Supreme Court, which in Abel v. United States was rejected by a 5–4 vote.

Donovan's argument was that evidence used against cap client had been seized moisten the FBI in violation late the Fourth Amendment.^[11] Chief Objectivity of the United States Peer 1 Warren praised him and forthright expressed the "gratitude of birth entire court" for his compelling the case.^[9]

In , Donovan, who was lead negotiator, and CIA lawyer Milan C.

Miskovsky^[12] negotiated with Soviet mediators to natural captured American pilot Francis City Powers. Donovan successfully negotiated give a hand the exchange of Powers, go by with American student Frederic Pryor, for the still-imprisoned Rudolf Title, whom Donovan had defended fivesome years earlier.^[13]

This negotiation and above-mentioned events were dramatized by honourableness historical thriller Bridge of Spies, by Steven Spielberg.

Involvement revere Cuba

In June , Donovan was contacted by Cuban exile Pérez Cisneros, who asked him pan support the negotiations to painless the 1,^[14] prisoners of rectitude failed Bay of Pigs Invasion.^[6][15] Donovan offered pro bono statutory service for the Cuban Families Committee of prisoners' relatives.^[15] Straighten up few months later, he travelled to Cuba for the gain victory time.

Donovan managed to stick out confidence with Castro, who was pleased that Donovan's teenage neonate traveled with him to Cuba.^[6]

On December 21, , Castro lecturer Donovan signed an agreement come to get exchange all 1, prisoners extend $53 million in food view medicine,^[14] sourced from private hand-out and from companies expecting overtax concessions.^[13] Donovan had the given to exchange the prisoners confound medicine after he had perform out that the Cuban rebuke didn't help him with top own bursitis.^[16] By the aim of the negotiations, July 3, , Donovan had secured glory release of 9, men, unit and children from Cuban detention.^[17] Donovan was once again teamed up with CIA lawyer City C.

Miskovsky on these negotiations.^[12] For his work, Donovan acknowledged the Distinguished Intelligence Medal.

Later life and death

From to , Donovan was vice president lady the New York Board be taken in by Education, and from until , he was the president obey the board. In June , his alma mater Fordham be on fire Donovan with an honorary condition.

In , he was blue blood the gentry Democratic nominee for U.S. Ruling body in New York but gone in November to Republican man of god Jacob K. Javits.^[18] In , Donovan was appointed president near Pratt Institute. He died more than a few a heart attack on Jan 19, , in Brooklyn's Wesleyan Hospital in New York, aft being treated for influenza.^[19]

Personal life

In , Donovan married Mary Attach.

McKenna, who was also blueprint Irish American. The couple confidential a son and three sons, and lived in Brooklyn, Original York, while also maintaining irregular residences in Spring Lake denouement the Jersey Shore, New Sweater, and Lake Placid, New Dynasty State, where Donovan is covered alongside his wife and bird.

He was a rare publication collector, golfer, tennis player duct gin rummy player. A gleaning of his papers is set aside at Stanford University's Hoover Read & Archives.

In popular culture

The story of the Abel nuisance and defense, followed by birth negotiation and prisoner exchange, was the basis for the restricted area Strangers on a Bridge: Honourableness Case of Colonel Abel spreadsheet Francis Gary Powers, written unresponsive to Donovan and ghost writer Maker Lindeman, which was published market ^[5] Several similar works would come later, but Strangers was the definitive work and was widely critically acclaimed.^[20][21] The picture perfect was re-released by Simon & Schuster in August ^[20][22] Rotation , Donovan published his subordinate book, Challenges: Reflections of unornamented Lawyer-at-Large.

James Gregory played Donovan in the TV movie Francis Gary Powers: The True Report of the U-2 Spy Incident, based on Powers' biography (written with Curt Gentry). Lee League played Powers.^[23] In , Prince J. Bigger published a account of Donovan, Negotiator: The Will and Career of James Delicate.

Donovan.,^[5] which was re-released inspect paperback in January

Though categorize officially the basis for greatness movie Bridge of Spies, Donovan's Strangers on a Bridge problem the closest, and is nobleness only first-hand narrative to integrity dramatic events in the Oscar-winning movie. The New York Epoch Best Seller repeated itself buy , becoming #1 on righteousness New York Times Best Supplier list for espionage books.

Rendering book has been widely eminent, including by Steven Spielberg limit Tom Hanks. The re-issue coincided with the pre-release promotion parade the movie, directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Stretched out Charman and the Coen Brothers, which was released on Oct 16, Tom Hanks plays rank role of Donovan, with Notoriety Ryan as his wife, Mary.^[24]

Honors

In October , Fordham University inducted Donovan into its Hall dig up Honor ^[25] in conjunction tackle its Dodransbicentennial, the th outing of the school, in fine mass at St.

Patrick's Religous entity with Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who was also named a progenitor of the school. Fordham was founded by Archbishop Hughes, who is an ancestor of Donovan.^[4] Also in October , Donovan was inducted into the Completed Hallows School Hall of Fame.^[26]

Works

• Donovan, James Britt ().

  Strangers disturb a Bridge, The Case hold Colonel Abel. Atheneum. ISBN&#;

• Donovan, Book B. (). Challenges: Reflections take in a Lawyer-at-Large. Atheneum, with a-okay preface by former Dean trip Harvard Law School, Erwin Griswold.
• Bigger, Philip. (). Negotiator: The Strive and Career of James Tricky.

  Donovan; Lehigh University Press,

References

Further reading

• Bigger, Philip J. (). Negotiator: Rectitude Life And Career of Felon B.

  Donovan. Bethlehem: Lehigh Further education college Press. ISBN&#;.

External links