James B. Donovan

1.1. Childhood and Family Background

James Britt Donovan was born on February 29, 1916, in The Bronx, New York. He was the son of Harriet (née O'Connor), a piano teacher, and John J. Donovan, a surgeon. Both of his parents were of Irish descent. His brother, John J. Donovan Jr., later became a New York state senator. Donovan attended the Catholic All Hallows Institute for his secondary education.

1.2. Academic Pursuits

In 1933, Donovan began his studies at Fordham University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1937. Initially, he aspired to become a journalist. However, his father persuaded him to pursue a career in law. He subsequently enrolled at Harvard Law School in the autumn of 1937, completing his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1940.

2.1. World War II Service

After graduating from law school, Donovan began his professional career in a private law office. During World War II, he served as a commander in the United States Navy. In 1942, he was appointed associate general counsel at the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD). From 1943 to 1945, he served as the General Counsel for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), which was the wartime intelligence agency and a predecessor to the CIA.

2.2. Legal Career Beginnings and Nuremberg Trials

In 1945, following his service in the OSS, Donovan became an assistant to Justice Robert H. Jackson, who served as the chief U.S. prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials in Germany. During the trials, Donovan was responsible for presenting visual evidence. He also served as an advisor for the documentary feature The Nazi Plan, which utilized captured Nazi footage to expose the atrocities committed by the regime. In 1950, Donovan became a partner in the New York-based law firm of Watters and Donovan, where he specialized in insurance law.

3.1. New York Education Leadership

From 1961 to 1963, Donovan served as the Vice President of the New York Board of Education. He was then elected President of the board, serving in that capacity from 1963 until 1965. During his tenure, he famously stated that he was leading "a Board of Education, not a Board of Integration," a remark that reflected the complex social and political climate of the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement.

3.2. U.S. Senate Campaign

In 1962, Donovan was nominated as the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in New York. However, in the November 1962 election, he was defeated by the Republican incumbent, Jacob K. Javits.

3.3. Pratt Institute Presidency

In 1968, Donovan was appointed president of the Pratt Institute, a private university in Brooklyn, New York, known for its programs in art, design, architecture, and information science.

4.1. The Rudolf Abel Defense and Spy Exchange

In 1957, James B. Donovan took on the defense of Soviet spy Rudolf Abel (also known as Vilyam Fisher) in what became known as the Hollow Nickel Case. This was a case that many other lawyers had refused to handle. Donovan later brought in Thomas M. Debevoise to assist him. Although Abel was convicted at trial, Donovan successfully persuaded the court not to impose a death sentence, arguing that Abel could be valuable for future prisoner exchanges. He subsequently appealed Abel's case to the Supreme Court. In Abel v. United States, Donovan argued that the evidence used against his client had been seized by the FBI in violation of the Fourth Amendment. Although the appeal was rejected by a 5-4 vote, Chief Justice Earl Warren publicly praised Donovan, expressing the "gratitude of the entire court" for his willingness to take on such a challenging and unpopular case.

In 1962, Donovan, serving as the lead negotiator, along with CIA lawyer Milan C. Miskovsky, engaged in complex negotiations with Soviet mediators. Their objective was to secure the release of captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers and American student Frederic Pryor. Donovan successfully negotiated an exchange: Powers and Pryor for the still-imprisoned Rudolf Abel, whom Donovan had defended five years earlier. This dramatic negotiation and the events leading up to it were later dramatized in the 2015 historical thriller Bridge of Spies, directed by Steven Spielberg.

4.2. Cuban Prisoner Release Negotiations

In June 1962, Donovan was approached by Cuban exile Pérez Cisneros, who sought his assistance in negotiating the release of 1,113 prisoners captured during the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion. Donovan offered his legal services pro bono to the Cuban Families Committee, which represented the relatives of the prisoners. A few months later, he made his first trip to Cuba. Despite the extremely tense relations between Cuba and the United States following the invasion attempt, Donovan managed to build a degree of trust with Fidel Castro. Castro was reportedly pleased that Donovan brought his teenage son along on the trip, which may have contributed to establishing a rapport.

On December 21, 1962, Castro and Donovan signed an agreement for the exchange of all 1,113 prisoners for 53.00 M USD worth of food and medicine. This humanitarian aid was sourced from private donations and from companies that anticipated tax concessions for their contributions. Donovan conceived the idea of exchanging prisoners for medicine after experiencing firsthand that Cuban medicine did not alleviate his own bursitis. By the conclusion of the negotiations on July 3, 1963, Donovan had secured the release of a total of 9,703 men, women, and children from Cuban detention. For his dedicated efforts in these negotiations, Donovan was awarded the Distinguished Intelligence Medal. He again collaborated with CIA lawyer Milan C. Miskovsky during these negotiations.

5.1. Family and Marriage

In 1941, James B. Donovan married Mary E. McKenna, who, like him, was of Irish descent. The couple had four children: one son and three daughters.

5.2. Residences and Personal Interests

The Donovan family resided in Brooklyn, New York. They also maintained seasonal residences in Spring Lake, on the Jersey Shore in New Jersey, and in Lake Placid, New York. Donovan is buried in Lake Placid alongside his wife and daughter. Outside of his demanding professional life, Donovan was known for his personal interests, which included collecting rare books, playing golf and tennis, and engaging in games of gin rummy. A collection of his personal papers is preserved at Stanford University's Hoover Library & Archives.

7.1. Portrayal in Popular Culture

The story of Donovan's defense of Rudolf Abel, followed by the intense negotiations and prisoner exchange, formed the basis for his 1964 book, Strangers on a Bridge: The Case of Colonel Abel and Francis Gary Powers. Co-written with ghostwriter Bard Lindeman, the book received widespread critical acclaim and became a definitive work on the subject. It was re-released by Simon & Schuster in August 2015 and became a New York Times Best Seller for espionage books in December 2015. In 1967, Donovan published his second book, Challenges: Reflections of a Lawyer-at-Large.

Donovan's life and work have been adapted into various media. James Gregory portrayed Donovan in the 1976 television movie Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident, which was based on Powers' biography. In 2006, Philip J. Bigger published a biography titled Negotiator: The Life and Career of James B. Donovan, which was re-released in paperback in January 2017.

The 2015 historical thriller Bridge of Spies, directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Matt Charman and the Coen Brothers, brought Donovan's story to a wider audience. Although not officially based solely on Strangers on a Bridge, Donovan's book is the closest first-hand account of the dramatic events depicted in the Oscar-winning film. Tom Hanks played the role of James B. Donovan, with Amy Ryan portraying his wife, Mary.

7.2. Honors and Commemorations

James B. Donovan received several honors and recognitions throughout and after his lifetime. In June 1962, his alma mater, Fordham University, awarded him an honorary degree. In October 2016, Fordham University inducted Donovan into its Hall of Honor as part of its Dodransbicentennial, marking the 175th anniversary of the institution. This ceremony took place at St. Patrick's Cathedral with Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Notably, Fordham was founded by Archbishop Hughes, an ancestor of Donovan. Also in October 2016, Donovan was inducted into the All Hallows School Hall of Fame. For his work in the Cuban prisoner negotiations, he was awarded the Distinguished Intelligence Medal.

8.1. Books by James B. Donovan

• Donovan, James Britt (1964). Strangers on a Bridge, The Case of Colonel Abel. Atheneum.
• Donovan, James B. (1967). Challenges: Reflections of a Lawyer-at-Large. Atheneum, with a preface by former Dean of Harvard Law School, Erwin Griswold.

8.2. Biographies and Related Works

• Bigger, Philip J. (2005). Negotiator: The Life and Career of James B. Donovan. Lehigh University Press.